Avatar: Blast from the Past
by SwiftAngel
Summary: The spirit creatures terrorizing the United Republic are too much for one Avatar to handle. Tune in to see what happens when Korra, Mako, and Bolin are transported to Avatar Aang's time. Can Korra and Aang team up to save the world? And how will Korra handle her conflicting feelings for Mako and...Zuko? Read on to find out! (Chapter 7: out of the ashes part 2)
1. Book 1: Blue Lights and Earthquakes

**Hi guys! This is the first fanfic that I've written in years, so I might be a little "rusty". Hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Korra or Avatar: The Last Airbender**

**Summary:**

**After strange creatures from the spirit world begin causing turmoil in the United Republic, Avatar Korra and her friends, Mako and Bolin are mysteriously transported 70 years in the past, during the time of Avatar Aang. They need to find him, since he's their only chance of returning home, but they also need to keep Korra's identity as the Avatar a secret. However, they slowly realize that they were sent to the past for A REASON. The spirits that are destroying the present originated from Aang's time. They've had decades to grow and mature, and now they're killing everything in sight. Can Korra and Aang destroy the spirits once and for all? Or is the United Republic truly doomed?**

**Note: This also includes romance. I know "Zukorra" sounds odd, but you'll see how it works. I'm also adding "Makorra" too.**

**ON TO THE STORY!**

**Book One: Fire (**火**)  
**

**Chapter 1-Blue Lights and Earthquakes  
**

Korra sauntered up the steps that led to Mako and Bolin's apartment, feeling nervous. How would she break the news to them? The brothers had been her best friends since she arrived at Republic City, and she could imagine that they would be crushed. Maybe there was another way. Maybe…

_No, stop it, Korra_, the young avatar told herself. She had to do what was best for the citizens of the republic. Even if it meant saying goodbye to her friends.

Korra took a deep breath and knocked on the door. _Here goes nothing, _she thought.

It was Mako who answered. The firebender seemed puzzled and furrowed his brow in confusion. What was Korra doing there at such a late hour?

Korra looked away from his gaze. "Do you mind if I come in? It's kind of important."

Mako cleared his throat. "Uh, sure," he said, opening the door wider. Korra walked past him, entering the living room where Bolin was listening to the radio.

"Hey, Korra!" he said, leaping from the couch. He had his signature grin on his face.

Korra tried, but she couldn't bring herself to smile back. She sadly wrapped her arms around herself. "Hey, Bolin."

Bolin's grin faded. "Something, wrong Korra?" he asked, a little worried.

Korra sighed. "You guys might want to sit down for this."

Bolin looked at his brother, who shrugged in response. He didn't know what was going on either. They plopped down on the sofa, waiting for Korra to speak.

She took a deep breath. Should she just come right out and say it? She was no good at this type of stuff. Korra bit her lip, unsure of what to do.

Mako raised an eyebrow. This wasn't the Korra he knew. She was normally as vicious as her polar bear dog, Naga. What was bothering her?

"Just tell us, Korra. It can't be that bad-"

"I'm leaving Republic City!" she blurted out in a rush, stunning Mako and Bolin. They couldn't have heard her right. There's no way she said she was _leaving_.

It took Mako a second to find his voice. "W-What?"

Korra buried her face in her hands. "Guys, please don't make this harder than it has to be. I have to do this. I have to go."

"Why?" this time it was Bolin who spoke.

Korra looked up, exasperated. "You already know why! Those spirits are popping up everywhere. People all over the world are dying. I can't just sit by and do nothing!"

For the past few weeks, strange creatures from the spirit world had been terrorizing the United Republic. At first it was just one, but the number had slowly grown to nearly 20. To make matters worse, the creatures appeared to be unstoppable. Even the best benders were murdered by the beasts. Mako expected that Korra would have to fight these things eventually. He just didn't think that it would be so soon.

He opened his mouth to argue, but Korra cut him off. "It's my duty as Avatar to protect the people," she reminded him. "There's no way around that."

"But what about your duty to this city?" Mako countered. He was off the couch now, towering over her. "Amon is still out there. You can't just leave."

"And _you_ can't tell me what to do," Korra said, pointing her finger at his chest. Mako was starting to make her angry.

"What if you get hurt? You're not even a fully realized avatar! It could be dangerous."

Korra turned away from him. "Don't you think I know that?" she scoffed. "Besides, it's not your concern."

There was a pause before Korra felt a hand on her shoulder. "I care about you, Korra," Mako said softly. "So it is my concern." He gently spun her around so they were face to face.

Korra faltered. He cared about her? As a friend or something more? Her head was swimming with possibilities, when Bolin's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Um, guys…" he pointed to the window. "You should probably take a look at this." They rushed over to see what Bolin was talking about.

Korra's eyes widened in surprise. A blue beam of light illuminated the arrow on Aang's statue, glowing brighter by the second. It was super strange.

"What do you think it means, Bolin?" asked Mako

Bolin turned to answer him, when suddenly the floor beneath them began shaking violently. Tiles from the ceiling fell down as Korra, Mako, and Bolin staggered back in alarm.

Bolin panicked. "It's an Earthquake!" he screamed. He ran for cover, leaving poor Korra and Mako to fend for themselves. Korra stood glued to the floor in uncertainty as everything around her trembled. They didn't get these kinds of things in the South Pole, so she didn't know what to do. She heard a loud cracking noise above her, but before she could process what it was, she found herself being knocked across the room by Mako, just as a large chunk of the ceiling caved in.

"Umph!" her head bumped against the floor. Her vision became cloudy and the world started to spin. And then she seemed to be falling.

"Mako! Bolin!" Korra couldn't see at all. She fell through the air, thrashing wildly. What was happening to her?

A light reached her eyes. She blinked, trying to see something, _anything_. The world slowly came into focus and Korra realized that she was falling…from the SKY. She landed on the ground with a "thud".

"Ugh," she groaned, rolling over in the grass. She felt like road kill. As she sat up something clicked in her brain. _Grass?_ She thought. _There shouldn't be any grass in the apartment!_

Korra looked around her. She was in a forest and it was… sunny.

"Huh?"

She heard moans behind her. Mako and Bolin were just waking up too. Wincing, Korra got on her feet and walked toward them. "Do you guys know what happened?" she asked as she helped them up. They seemed dazed and confused.

"Bolin rubbed a sore spot on his head. "Nope, not a clue."

Mako stared into space in deep thought. "I don't get it," he finally said. "There aren't any forests near the arena. How'd we get here?"

He was right. There was something weird going on, and Korra had a bad feeling about the situation. Her instincts told her that earthquakes weren't supposed to transport people to different places.

"We should get back to the city," she said after a few moments of silence. "I think I hear voices coming form that direction." She pointed to her left.

Mako nodded in agreement. This was probably some freak accident caused by nature. He and Bolin followed Korra through the trees, anxious to get back their home in the pro-bending arena.

Mako trudged along, thinking about the flash of blue light that occurred before the earthquake. He wondered if it could have something to do with Avatar Aang. It just didn't seem normal to him.

His thoughts were cut short when Korra came to a sudden stop, looking around in fear.

"Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?" asked Bolin.

"Those chimes. I could've sworn that-"

A specter in the form of an old man whipped past her head, glowing a bright blue. _What the hell?!_ She had to be seeing things. Her hand reached out to touch it, but she only she only felt air.

The spirit smiled at her. "Silence is golden," it said, "But combining it the key to victory."

And then it vanished.

Korra shook her head, completely freaked out. It looked like she had just come into contact with Avatar Roku, the Avatar before Aang. And he seemed to be trying to tell her something? She felt herself being nudged by Bolin, snapping her back to reality.

"Korra? You okay?"

"Um, yeah," she said, quickly composing herself. "I think we're nearly there."

They walked a few more paces before coming to some large bushes. Mako parted the branches, allowing the group to look through.

They definitely weren't in Republic City anymore.

Instead, a village with cobbled stoned streets lay before them. The buildings had large, red sloping roofs with gold trimming. In fact, everything was red, including the clothing that the bustling crowds of people wore.

"Are we in the _Fire Nation_?" Korra asked in disbelief. How the hell did they get here?

Mako nodded, taken aback himself. "I think so. But why does everything look so _old_?"

"Yeah," added Bolin. "I feel like I've stepped into a history book."

And then it dawned on them. The light on Aang's head. The Earthquake. And an old fire nation village. The two brothers exchanged a look.

"_KORRA!_"

**So what did you think? Drop me a line in the reviews! Thanks! Love you guys!**


	2. Figuring Things Out

**I'm so sorry this took so long! I've been busy with school (my fault for taking all honors and AP courses) and of course, life! I hope you guys enjoyed the last chapter. I got fifteen reviews (I nearly died of happiness). **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of the things associated with it.**

**Previously on Avatar: Blast from the Past- After getting into an argument with her friends, Avatar Korra has been mysteriously transported to a strange place in the Fire Nation**

**ON TO THE STORY**

**Book One: Fire (**火**)  
**

**Chapter 2-Figuring Things Out  
**

"What?" Korra looked bewildered. "Why are you guys glaring at me like that?"

The two brothers had moved away from the bushes and now cornered her against a tree. They didn't look happy.

"What. Did. You. Do?" Mako said with clenched teeth. Korra might have gotten them into trouble in the past, but this! This was going too far.

"Yeah," Bolin crossed his arms. "How'd you manage to take us to the Fire Nation?

"I honestly don't know what you're talking about! I'm just as confused as you are."

Mako took a step closer. "Don't play dumb with us Korra," he snapped. "The glowing statue of Aang definitely has something to do with the avatar, and we didn't get to the past on our own, so I suggest that you start explaining-"

Bolin interrupted, a blank stare on his face. "The past?" He hadn't jumped to the same conclusion as his brother. "We can't be in the past. That's crazy talk, right Mako?" His face dropped when Mako didn't answer. "Mako?"

Mako closed his eyes. "You saw the village bro," he said gently. "It looked similar to Grandpa's old photograph. I don't think there's any other explanation."

"B-But time travels impossible-" Bolin choked on his own words, making Korra feel terrible. She didn't want to admit it, but deep down, she knew that this...thing…had something to do with her. She did see Roku after all, and unfortunately, even something as ridiculous as time travel couldn't be ruled out when you were dealing with the avatar. _Maybe I should tell them about what I saw_, she thought. But Roku's words lingered at the back of her mind. '_Silence is Golden'_ he chided. It was probably best for her to keep her mouth shut until they figured out what was happening. She crossed the forest floor and gently rubbed Bolin's back, trying to soothe him.

"Everything's going to be alright, Bo," she whispered. "I doubt that we're even in the past."

Mako stared at her in disgust. "Don't do that," he growled.

"Do what?"

"Don't give him false hope! If we're stuck in the past, how are we supposed to get home?"

His words struck a nerve. It would be disastrous if they couldn't get home. Korra didn't even want to think about what would happen to the Republic if she wasn't there to fight the spirits. But on the other hand, Mako's theory was pretty far-fetched. Korra couldn't even wrap her head around the possibility of time travel, but how else did they wind up in the middle of an Archaic Town in the Fire Nation of all places? She couldn't accept the notion of traveling to the past until she had some sort of proof.

Korra dismissed Mako's words, brushing past him to make her way over to the bushes. She was ready to clamber through, when she felt someone pull her back. She turned to meet amber eyes. _Mako._

"What now?" she scowled.

Mako's eyes darkened. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm going to settle this and find out what year it is."

Mako raised an eyebrow. "Seriously?" he asked. "You're going to walk though the _Fire Nation_ dressed like that?"

What was he playing at? "Yeah, so?"

"We might be-oh I don't know- decades in the past, possibly during the time of the 100 year war, and you wanna parade through the streets in Water Tribe clothes?" his voiced dripped with sarcasm. "Give me a break, Korra."

Korra wanted to smack herself for being so stupid. Both of the Water Tribes fought against the Fire Nation during the war. She could be taken prisoner or worse. "I'm sorry," she conceded. "I don't know what I was thinking."

The corners of Mako's mouth twitched, hinting at a smile. "It's fine," he assured her. "I'll do it."

"What if something happens?" Bolin asked, his eyes full of concern.

"I'll be fine." He fingered his red scarf. "I'm a firebender, so I'm probably safer than both of you."

Then, with a final glance, he disappeared through the shrubbery.

* * *

Mako stared in awe as the busy citizens of the village hurried past him on the street. He had never really traveled outside of Republic City, so in a way, being in the village was a rare treat for him. He walked a few paces before spotting a elderly man reading a news scroll on the side of the road.

Mako cleared his throat as he approached the man. "Uh, excuse me sir?" he said politely.

The man peered at him from over his spectacles. "What?"

"I-I was um, wondering if you knew what day it was." He stuttered. His words hadn't come out exactly right.

The old man gave him a look of contempt. "It's Wednesday," he said as-a-matter-of-fact.

He started to walk way when Mako hurried after him. "Sir? That's not what I meant. I actually wanted to know the year too."

"Is there something wrong with your head boy?" the man asked. "Its July 20th, 100 years after Sozin's Comet. You should know that."

Mako's heart sank. They really were in the past. He thanked the man, muttering some lame excuse about a head injury that made him lose his memory, and left.

He walked back through the bushes with his head down and his hands in his pockets. Korra and Bolin immediately rushed up to him.

"What did you find out?"

Mako sighed. "I asked a guy. He said that we're in the year 100 ASC, sometime in July." There was a heavy silence. Their worst fears had just been confirmed.

"Well, what happens now?" Bolin wondered. Mako shrugged and sank down at the base of a tree.

"I wish I knew."

Korra toyed with her sidetail, thinking about what to do next. Mako and Bolin were in this mess because of her, so it was her job to fix it. She had to find a way to get them back home. But she couldn't think of anything. _Some Avatar I am,_ she thought angrily.

She sat down next to Mako, putting her head between her knees. There had to something they could do.

And then the answer hit her like a ton of bricks. "I've got it!" she cried, making her friends jump in surprise. "The Avatar!"

Bolin eyed her skeptically. "Yeah, sorry Korra, but unless you've somehow mastered connecting to the spirit world, I don't see how you can help."

Korra fought the urge to roll her eyes. "Not me, Bolin," she explained. "I meant Avatar _Aang_."

"Er, I think he's dead so I don't know what you're going to accomplish with him."

Mako looked up, grinning. "No, Bo, he's not dead! We're in the past, remember? That means he's only 12."

Bolin scratched his head. "But how do we find him?" he asked.

Korra thought for a moment. "You said it was July right?"

Mako nodded, not quite sure of where Korra was going with this. "I did...but what does that have to do with us?"

"It means, depending on what day it is, that Aang and his friends should be launching the Day of Black Sun invasion soon. We just have to get to the Fire Nation Capital. It's easier than trying to look for him. We'll just wait for him to come to us."

"Hmm…" Bolin mulled it over. "Let me get this straight. We just meet up with Aang and team avatar, they help us, and then we go home?"

"Yep."

"Awesome! I'm down with that!" he high fived Korra, smiling widely. He turned to high five Mako too, but stopped when he saw the look on the firebender's face.

"Is something bothering you, bro?" Bolin asked.

Mako stroked his chin, frowning. "We can't go yet."

Korra raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean, 'we can't go yet?' What's the problem?"

Mako kicked a nearby rock, looking away. "We need clothes. You guys look like you're fresh off the boat from the Earth Kingdom or the Water Tribe. Something could happen to you."

"Yeah, but you look fine," Korra noted, her eyes scanning his form. "You're a firebender. You said it yourself: you're safer than both of us in this time period."

Mako shook his head. "My clothes are too futuristic. If we have to go trekking through the Fire Nation, we should at least blend in."

Korra's eyes narrowed. "But how are we supposed to buy clothes if we don't have any money?" she asked cautiously.

Mako smirked, a mischievous glint in his eye. "I've got an idea…"

* * *

A short time later, the gang stood on a street in the village dressed in Fire Nation red. As it turns out, Mako's "idea" involved a little burglary mission, but luckily things had gone smoothly, and they'd even managed to grab a few supplies. Their clothes were simple enough for them to mix with the crowd, with Mako and Bolin wearing plain dark red tunics and pants. Korra however , had chosen to wear something a bit more revealing, much to Mako's dismay. Her tiny red one shoulder top barely covered her chest, let alone her stomach which was completely bare. Not to mention the long slit on the side of her skirt. And the fact that her hair was down didn't really help either…

Mako snapped out of his trance, trying to focus on the task ahead. Currently, they were trying to find out how to get to the Capital, but everyone seemed to be ignoring them. The people hurried by without so much as a second glance.

Korra huffed in frustration. "This isn't working! No one's paying attention."

"Yeah, but we can't give up." Bolin said. "If we can't get to the capital, we can't get home. Plain and simple."

Korra sighed, knowing Bolin's words were true. She opened her mouth to ask an approaching lady for directions when she heard a voice behind her.

"Hello there." Korra turned around, caught off guard. A middle aged man with brown hair stood before them. Based on his clothing, he might have been a merchant.

"Hi…" she said, somewhat confused. Mako and Bolin also seemed a little apprehensive.

The man smiled. "I couldn't help but notice that you kids look a little lost. Do you need some help?"

Bolin returned the smile. "Oh boy, do we ever! We-" He fell silent when his brother gave him a stern glare. Bo was too trusting of strangers.

"We need to know how to get to the Capital." Mako told the man.

"It's at least a day's journey, and that's by carriage." The man paused before continuing. "Are you three traveling alone?"

"Frankly that's none of your business," he said harshly. Growing up on the streets had made him weary of dealing with unfamiliar people. "We just need directions, and then we'll be on our way."

The man seemed taken aback by Mako's tone. "I think you've misunderstood," he explained. "My wife and I are heading to a town that's near the capital. We could give you a lift if you'd like."

Mako opened his mouth to turn down the stranger's offer, when Korra beat him to the punch. But instead of rejecting it, she gladly accepted it. "That would be great, thanks!" she said hurriedly. Mako glared at her, but she didn't seem fazed. "We need his help," she said in a barely audible whisper.

The man chuckled. "Well alright then." He led them to a wagon, where a woman was waiting by a pair of ostrich horses. "I'm Zaron by the way." He pointed to the woman. "This is my wife Peia."

Bolin nodded. "It's nice to meet you. I'm-" He broke off when he realized that they had never thought of any fake names to go by while they were stuck in the past. "Uh…"

Mako quickly stepped in. "I'm Mako, this is my brother Dante, and our cousin…"

"Kai," Korra finished for him. "We really appreciate the ride. Thanks again."

"No problem." They climbed unto they wagon, and once everything was tucked away, they set off. Soon they would be at the Capital, and this would all be over.

_Or so they thought…_

**So, what did you think? Leave me a review! (Remember: the more reviews you leave, the more I want to update )****. I'll even make you a deal. The person who leaves the 30****th**** review gets a PM from me with a spoiler about ANYTHING (except for the ending of course). THANKS! LOVE YOU GUYS!**


	3. Journey to the Capital

**Sorry that I took so long to update. Things have been CRAZY with school, and my mom sorta grounded me for a month. I'll be sure to update more regularly now. I've also decided to split the story up into books (kinda like the show). Book one is Fire, followed by Air and Spirits. And thanks for all your reviews! They made my day I'll respond to all of them as soon as I can. :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar or the Legend of Korra  
**

**Previously on Avatar: Blast from the past- Korra, Mako and Bolin discovered that they were 70 years in the past. They formulated a plan to find Avatar Aang. Now, they're on their way to the Fire Nation Capital.  
**

**Book One: Fire (**火**)  
**

**Chapter 3-Journey to the Capital  
**

Korra rested on Mako's shoulder, staring at the long stretch of road ahead. The group had been traveling for a while now, and the journey wasn't pleasant. The sweltering temperatures of the Fire Nation combined with the bumpy ride from the dirt road had put everyone in a sour mood. Sweat dripped down their backs, and then there was Bolin's constant humming, which didn't do much to raise their spirits. In fact, it was plain annoying.

Mako glared at his brother, who was apparently oblivious to everyone else's obvious discomfort. "Bro, knock it off," he said harshly.

Bolin looked up, frowning slightly. "Why? I'm not bothering anybody. Besides, I'm bored. What else am I supposed to do to pass the time?"

"I don't know! Find something that doesn't involve making noise!"

"But what if I don't want to?" Bolin countered, crossing his arms. He stared defiantly at his brother, but before they started squabbling, Korra lifted her head, scowling at the two of them.

"I have an idea," she deadpanned. "Why don't you both shut up?"

There was a pause, and then Bolin huffed angrily in response, turning his back toward Mako. They fell silent, but no one could miss the sudden tension in the back of the wagon. Zaron cleared his throat nervously. The last thing he wanted was a fight breaking out among the teens while he was driving.

"Everything okay back there?" he asked.

"Fine!" they said in unison. It got quiet again.

Zaron exchanged a glance with his wife. Everything was not _fine_. He cleared his throat again. Maybe a little conversation would improve things.

"So," he began. "Why are the three of you going to the capital? Are you visiting relatives?"

Korra's eyes widened. They never came up with a story! She floundered around in her head, searching for something to say. "Uh, yeah," she said. "we're going to visit our…our…"

Mako came to her rescue. "Grandmother," he finished. "We're going to visit our grandmother."

Zaron smiled. They were getting somewhere. "That's nice," he said. "What part of the city does she live in?"

No one answered.

A long pause followed, making Bolin nervous. None of them were familiar with the neighborhoods of the Capital. They turned to look at each other, unsure of what to do. Any minute, and these people would figure out that they were lying, and the whole plan would be ruined. Which is why, in his frazzled state, Bolin said the first thing that came to his mind. Something that he would later regret. "She lives the Caldera!" he blurted.

At that point, Korra wanted to disappear. Leave it to Bolin to come up with the worst answer ever. Mako immediately thumped him on the head, muttering about how he was such an idiot. How were they supposed to talk their way out of this one?

Zaron looked surprised, his hands momentarily tightening on the reigns. The Fire Nation's most elite citizens lived in the Caldera City, but these kids didn't appear to be high class. He heard the sounds of a scuffle in the back along with harsh whispers. Were the teens pulling his leg, or could they actually be serious? He pondered this for a moment until his wife suddenly spoke, turning his attention back to the conversation.

"Is she a noble?" she asked incredulously. Unlike her husband, Peia had a bit more common sense. She wasn't buying their story.

The scuffle abruptly stopped. "Well, no" Korra said, stalling for more time to think. "She's just…well off"

"I see," Peia said, unconvinced. "But why are you hitchhiking with us, then? If she's so rich, couldn't she send a carriage for you?"

Korra could feel her heart pounding. Peia had found a major flaw in their story. This was not good. "Well I-I…" She couldn't come up with an explanation. Crap.

"Um…" _Come on. Think!_

"Time to make camp!" Zaron announced, pointing to the sky. The sun was setting over the horizon. They would have to stop traveling for the night.

Korra exhaled in relief, thankful for the interruption. They were off the hook. Peia turned back around, her lips pressed into a thin line. Something was off with these kids. She couldn't put her finger on it, but in the back of her mind, she knew that their behavior was odd, to say the least. The sooner she and her husband were rid of them, the better.

* * *

Korra couldn't sleep well that night. She tossed and turned on her pallet, thinking about the current situation. She, Mako and Bolin were 70 years in the past. She didn't know why, or how it had happened, but she did know one thing: If she couldn't get back to the present soon, the entire world would be in grave danger. Before she had gone to Mako and Bolin's apartment, Korra had learned just how bad the spirit attacks were getting. Everyone had assured her that things were going to be alright, and that the United forces had it under control. But last night, Korra found out the horrible truth: The spirits were uncontrollable. And they were killing everything in sight.

She remembered how it happened….

_She walked down the hallway, making her way back to her room after practicing her airbending stance, when she heard hushed voices coming from Tenzin's office. Of course, with Tenzin being on the city council, this was far from unusual, but Korra was curious. She bent down to spy through the keyhole._

_Tenzin sat behind his desk, looking frustrated as two people wearing blue and white robes spoke hurriedly, briefing him about an issue. Chief Beifong was also there, leaning against a bookshelf, along with Pema._

_Korra did a double take. Blue and white robes. That signified that the people were Members of the Order of the White Lotus. They wouldn't show up unless it was about something important. Slightly worried, Korra pressed her face closer to the keyhole to listen better. _

"…_And that is why we cannot wait any longer. We must act now." The member on the right, a woman concluded her speech. Tenzin didn't look happy about whatever she had told him._

"_But Korra isn't ready for that," he argued. "For goodness sake, she's not even a fully realized Avatar!"_

_Korra inhaled sharply. They were talking about her. This didn't look good. She listened on. A sinking feeling began to form in the pit of her stomach. _

_The man spoke now. "We realize that Korra may be…ill prepared, but the world needs her right now. The spirits are getting stronger. She is our best chance of survival."_

"_Using Korra was supposed to be a last resort," Lin said. "What happened to the United Forces? I thought the council agreed to let them handle the crisis."_

_The man bowed his head. "General Iroh and his men gave a valiant attempt, but they could not defeat the spirits. The army has suffered mass casualties, and they are in no condition to fight. We need Korra."_

"_Spirits?" asked Lin. "There's more than one?"The last time she checked, only one monstrous Spirit existed, and it alone had caused insurmountable damage to the Republic. She couldn't imagine having more._

"_It seems that the spirit is capable of…reproducing," said the woman. "It has split itself to make new monsters."_

_New monsters. It the United Republic couldn't fend off one, having duplicates would complicate matters, to say the least._

_A vein throbbed in Tenzin's forehead. "How many?"_

"_That information is not relevant-" _

"_If Korra has to face a legion of killer-spirits, then it IS relevant," Tenzin said sharply. "Now how many are there?"_

_The woman stiffened at his tone. "There are more than twenty."_

_A heavy silence blanketed the room. Korra would have to fight twenty spirits. Twenty monsters that had torn many of the Republic's finest soldiers limb from limb. She didn't stand a chance. _

_Pema hesitantly looked up. "Are you sure there's not another option? Korra's such a young girl. It could be too much for her. What if-" she paused, seemingly afraid to continue. Her eyes shone with tears. "What if she goes to fight them and she doesn't come back?"_

_No one spoke for several moments. What Pema was implying seemed unthinkable. They all wanted to believe that Korra would be okay. But they would be deluding themselves if they said that the task she had to complete wasn't dangerous._

_The man clasped his hands together. "That's a risk we're willing to take," he said firmly._

Korra shivered at the memory. She'd freaked out after hearing the conversation and ran off to Mako and Bolin's. She was scared. Fighting the spirits would be _suicidal. _She didn't have a connection with the spirit world, and she hadn't even tried mastering the Avatar State. The only thing that Korra had going for her was the ability to bend three elements, but-seeing that the spirits had killed benders from all walks of life- she didn't see how that would be much of an advantage. How could she save the world if she couldn't even save herself? She had no idea how she was going to get back to the future. She rolled over on her back, wishing that she knew what to do. Aang had been such a good Avatar, and she felt like she wasn't doing a good job as his successor.

Korra looked up at the sky. _How do I fix this?_ She thought. She suddenly felt a gust of wind brush against her cheek.

The ghostly outline of a man appeared in front of her. He was elderly, and wore long robes and a fire nation topknot.

She sat up in disbelief. "Roku?"

The man nodded. "Korra, you must listen to me carefully. Your success in the future depends on your understanding of the past."

"My success?" _What is he talking about?_ "I'm sorry, but I don't understand. Why am I here? What am I supposed to do?"

"You are here to right the wrongs of the future," Roku replied. "You have the power to restore balance to the United Republic."

_What the-?_ "I'm in the _past_," Korra reminded him. "I can't restore anything unless I can get back!"

The image of Roku flickered. He smiled grimly. "The answer is already within you," he said. "But it is up to _you_ to find it." Much to Korra's horror, he began fading away.

"Wait!" she pleaded. "I don't know the answer. I need your help. ROKU!"

But Roku vanished, leaving Korra alone. She could barely make out his last words, floating in the breeze.

"_Find Aang."_

* * *

The next morning, Zaron and Peia dropped the trio off at the gate of the Fire Nation capital. Korra had been there before, on Avatar business, so she wasn't excited like Mako and Bolin were. To her it was just the same old city.

And then she entered the gate.

The city was a maze of paved streets and tall buildings with sloping roofs. Carriages barreled down the roadways, and people milled about on the sidewalks. Korra gasped at the sight before her. It looked like the old Capital was different from the one that she knew. A lot different. No cars or streetlamps. Nothing modern.

She stood in awe until Mako nudged her to get her attention. "So, we're here," he said, gesturing to the city around them. "Now what?"

Korra looked unsure of herself. "Uh… you're asking me?"

Mako buried his face in his hands, becoming frustrated. "You were the one that came up with the plan!"

"Well I didn't think of every single detail!"

Bolin stepped between them. "Guys, I'm sure we can figure it out. But fighting won't help." He turned to Korra. "You said that Aang would show up here in a few _days._ Exactly how long do we have to wait?"

Korra chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of her neck. "Heh. Yeah, about that…"

Mako glared at her. "How long, Korra?"

"Well, today is the 21st of July and the invasion took place on August 1st, so I would say about…11 days."

Bolin gaped. "11 days!" he spluttered. "What are we supposed to do for 11 days?" He looked panicked. 11 days stuck in a strange city. This couldn't end well.

Mako was furious. "So, you're telling me that you dragged us here, and that we're just supposed to wait 11 days until Aang shows up?" There was pure venom in his voice. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"Okay, maybe I didn't think this through, but-"

"Korra, you never think things through! This is your fault. Maybe if you had any sense, Republic City wouldn't be on the verge of collapse right now!"

He'd gone too far. Korra delivered a stinging slap across his cheek. "You have no idea what you're talking about," she spat. "I've tried my damned _hardest_ to protect that city. I was ready to die to save everyone in it. You try having the whole freaking world depending on you, and then maybe you can yell at me for not having any SENSE!"

It got quiet, as people around them turned to stare. Mako turned red. "Fine," he sighed. "I'm sorry. But we have to think about this. We've got 11 days to kill. Any ideas?"

"Nope."

Bolin shrugged. "I got nothing."

They stood there for a moment, contemplating what to do, their backs turned to the rest of the people on the road.

They didn't notice when the people suddenly started move to the sides of the street_, _out_ of the way_. And they definitely didn't see the men bearing the palanquin hurrying down the road.

Korra looked up. "Did you guys _hear_ something?"

Before the brothers could reply, a shrill cry pierced the air. "MOVE!"

And then they saw it.

A Royal Palanquin carried by many men was making its way through the city. And, it was headed straight toward them. As in, it was only a few feet away.

Korra, Mako and Bolin barely had time to dive out of the way before the palanquin bearers trampled them. Korra was stunned by its sudden appearance. She wanted to smack herself. How could she not see that coming?

The men abruptly came to a halt, eliciting shocked murmurs from the crowd. The palanquin procession never came to a halt until it reached its destination.

Bolin looked at Korra. "What's going on?"

Korra didn't know, but she still tried to answer him. "Well, you see…"

Her words died in her throat.

A pair of hands parted the curtain, and a girl with pale skin and dark hair emerged from the palanquin. She wore dark red fire nation armor and a small crown, which was carefully secured in her topknot. She was beautiful, but the malicious smirk on her face was unsettling. It marred her features, giving her an almost _deadly_ appearance. _No._ Korra thought. _It couldn't be..._

The girl advanced toward the trio, her eyes blazing with hate. "You dare stand before royalty, Peasants?" she sneered. "Kneel before me!"

Bolin gulped.

_Princess Azula._

**So what did you think? Drop me a review! (They motivate me to write faster). Hope you liked it!_  
_**


	4. Into the Inferno

**Hey Guys! Here's Chapter Four! Just as I promised, it's up before the New Year (barely, but still, I made the deadline). I had a bit of trouble with this one, so tell me if you like it. I'm sorry if it's too long. Enjoy!  
**

**p.s- I can't believe I'm up to 50 reviews already! Thanks soo much! You guys are the best readers that a girl could have. ;)  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender or the Legend of Korra  
**

**Previously on Avatar-Blast from the Past: _Korra, Mako and Bolin traveled with Zaron and Peia to the Fire Nation Capital, where they ran into Princess Azula._  
**

* * *

**Book One: Fire (**火**)**

**Chapter 4-Into the Inferno**

Azula surveyed the group, a disgusted look forming on her face. As a princess, she had no tolerance for insolent peasants. Not that she had come across any before, though. The citizens of the Fire Nation feared her more than they respected her, and obeyed her every order. She crossed her arms expectantly. "Well?" she demanded. "I said bow!"

Mako and Bolin exchanged a worried glance before reluctantly dropping to their knees, not wanting to anger the Princess any further. They had heard about Azula's psychotic episodes during the time of Avatar Aang, and knew that it wouldn't be a good idea to get on her bad side.

But Korra had different plans.

She stood defiantly in front of Azula, cocking her head to the side. "I think I'll keep standing," she said coolly. The onlookers in the crowd around her gasped in shock at her disrespectful actions, but Korra didn't care. Something about this girl just ticked her off. Her superior attitude towards them was enough to annoy anyone.

Mako mentally groaned. Of course Korra would just have to challenge Fire Lord Zuko's crazy sister. He normally admired her courage, but there was a difference between bravery and stupidity. Korra was about to get herself killed.

Azula clenched her fists in anger. "I ordered you to bow to me, Peasant. I am your Princess. You will show me respect!"

Korra pretended to consider this. "Yeah, I don't think so. I don't take orders from anybody, especially not from the likes of- Oomph!"

She never got to finish her sentence. Mako roughly yanked her arm, making her fall to the ground beside him and Bolin. She glared at him. _What the hell was that for?_

He gave her a disapproving stare. _Behave. _Korra sighed in defeat. He was probably right, as always, but Korra was proud. Being forced to grovel at Azula's feet bruised her ego.

Azula smirked cruelly. "I see your friend has more sense than you, girl. He knows what I'm capable of. He knows that I don't respond well to people who offend me. She paused. "And I am _deeply_ offended by your actions."

She paced back and forth in front of them, her smile growing wider. "Do you have any idea what happens to people who make me angry?" she asked innocently. She stopped in her tracks. "I _punish _them."

She whirled around, brandishing two fists glowing with sapphire flames. Korra's eyes widened. _Holy Shit!_

The Princess stepped closer, placing a flame dangerously close to Bolin's face. He whimpered, shrinking back from the searing heat. "Now," she barked. "What are your names?"

Bolin trembled. "Well, I'm D-Dante, a-and this is my cousin, K-Kai-"

"Liar!" Azula screeched, making Bolin flinch. "I can tell that you're fibbing. Just like I can smell your _fear_." She studied their faces. "Your name's not really Dante, is it? And _she_ isn't really your cousin." She sniffed. " Unless you're somehow related to a _water tribe girl_."

Korra's face dropped. _No, no, NO!_ She thought. How could Azula possibly see through their act? They had fooled everyone else. Now it looked like their luck was running out.

"You've blocked the path of my palanquin, blatantly disrespected me in public, and now you're lying to me." Azula's face contorted in rage. "I should put an end to your pathetic lives. But I'm feeling merciful today."

Mako cleared his throat, daring to hope for the best. Could Azula really be letting them off, scot free? "So…you'll let us go, then?"

Azula snorted. "You can't be stupid enough to think that. No, normally I would dispose of you for your insubordination, but, as I said before, I'm in a good mood." She was silent for a moment. "Instead I'll sentence you to…one year of servitude at the Royal Palace."

Korra's eyes nearly popped out of her head. Being a Fire Nation slave was out of the question. She was on her feet in an instant, along with Mako and Bolin. "You…You can't do this!" she seethed. "We haven't done anything wrong-"

"Silence!" Azula wielded her blue fire threateningly. "I can do whatever I please, Peasant. _I _am Royalty. You, however, are powerless." She nodded to the team of guards waiting beside the palanquin. "Seize them."

The group backed away apprehensively as the guards moved forward, fire whips forming in their hands. Korra mentally counted them. Fifteen guards, ten palanquin bearers and one deranged Princess. She stole a sideways glance at Mako. "Can we take them?" she whispered.

Mako seriously doubted it , but he wasn't about to go down without a fight. "We can try."

They never got the chance.

The guards lunged at them, and in an instant, long streams of fire were wrapped around their arms and legs, the flames biting their flesh, leaving angry red wounds. Korra cried out, trying to break free of her bonds, but it was no use. She was trapped, and so were Mako and Bolin. She screamed in fury. This wasn't supposed to happen. They weren't supposed be in the past. They weren't supposed be enslaved by Zuko's mentally unstable sister. Everything was utterly and completely _wrong_.

Azula chuckled at the sight of the teens being forced into submission. _Serves them right, _she thought. She extinguished her flames and calmly walked back to the palanquin. "Continue on to the Palace," she told her servers as she climbed in. "My father will be pleased when I inform him about the new additions to his collection of slaves."

* * *

The procession started up again, with Azula's palanquin at the front. Members of the observing crowd watched in horror as Korra, Mako and Bolin were unceremoniously dragged behind it, struggling and stumbling all the way.

But there was one person who was particularly bothered by the sight of it.

Prince Zuko scowled from behind the curtain of his palanquin, turning away. He had ordered his palanquin bearers to hang back after he saw that Azula had stopped the procession. He knew that she frequently enjoyed harassing the citizens of the Capital, and he didn't want to be a part of that. Now, he wished that he had been there. Maybe could have talked her out of it. In fact, he could speak up now. One word from him, the Crown Prince, and the girl and her companions would be free.

He said nothing.

He finally had everything he wanted. He was home, with his friends and family, and most of all, his father had finally accepted him. Zuko was happy. Whatever happened to the girl and her friends was not his concern.

Or at least, that's what he told himself. His thoughts were interrupted by a delicate hand stroking his forearm. _Mai. _

She rested her head on Zuko's shoulder, her eyes full of worry. Zuko smiled on the inside. Mai's face was always blank, always unreadable, but her eyes gave her away every time.

"Are you ok, Zuko?" she asked.

He hesitated. Outside, only a few feet away, three teenagers were being forced into servitude, against their will. He had the power to stop it, and yet, he was just sitting there, curled up with his girlfriend. Doing nothing. What kind of a person did that make him? He frowned. If Uncle were here, he would be appalled by his behavior. _But Uncle isn't here_, he reminded himself. _He's in prison, and he's never getting out. Good deeds don't get you very far. _

Zuko tentatively touched his crown, the symbol of his power. _It's not my problem. Not my problem._

He turned to look at Mai, ignoring the scene outside. "I'm Fine," he said curtly.

_If only that were true._

* * *

This. Was. Humiliating.

Korra staggered through the palace gates, Mako and Bolin by her side. Her head hung in defeat. They were on their way inside the home of the Fire Lord, to be _slaves_. Korra grimaced. How could she let this happen? First the Spirits, and then this! She was a failure. _I'm probably the worst Avatar on record, _she thought_. _

The procession slowed down, stopping in front of the palace. Korra lifted her head.

She nearly stopped breathing.

In front of her was a large, imposing structure, adorned with intricate carvings. Gold trimmings covered the roof, reminding her of fire itself. It loomed over her, casting a shadow over everything. But what really caught her attention was the gleaming spire on top of the main tower, its point piercing the sky like a fiery spear.

The building reminded her of a dragon. An ominous fire breathing dragon.

She was literally walking into the belly of the beast.

She turned to Mako, when she suddenly felt herself being roughly pulled forward. A guard yanked on her restraints, leading her away from Mako and Bolin. The gears clicked inside her brain. The guards intended to separate them. She resisted, thrashing wildly. "No!" she cried. Her friends were the only thing that she had left. She didn't know if she could handle being without them.

Mako looked pained as he and his brother were escorted in a different direction. He was on the verge of a breakdown. But he had to be strong. "Korra!" he called.

Her eyes met his.

"Lay low," he warned. He didn't want her to do anything rash in his absence. "Don't draw attention to yourself. Do what they tell you. We'll find a way out of this."

Korra nodded. She caught a final glimpse of Mako and Bolin before they disappeared from sight.

She hoped they would be okay.

* * *

"Hurry up, girl," the old woman barked. "You don't want to keep the lieutenant waiting."

Korra trudged through the palace, accompanied by Madame Kuang, the overseer of the royal servants. She had been scrubbed down by attendants and was scantily clad in slave girl's uniform, wearing a halter top and a skirt so indecent that Tenzin would've blown a gasket if he had spotted her in it. Korra sighed. She missed Tenzin, along with everyone else back home. Not to mention Mako and Bolin. Of course, she was working on an escape plan, but with the royal guards leering at her at every turn, making a run for it probably wasn't the smartest idea.

Madame Kuang stopped in front of room with a mahogany door. "He's in there," she said, smirking. "Have _fun_."

Korra walked into the room, tightly gripping the tray in her hands. Elegant red tapestries hung from the walls, and patterned rugs covered the floor. It was a richly decorated room, but Korra didn't stop to admire its grandeur. Her mind was occupied with other, pressing matters.

She was on edge, her muscles tense. She didn't know what she was walking into. Sure, the task seemed simple enough- deliver tea to a man named Lieutenant Hao. Easy. Except the smirk on Madame Kuang's face had been unnerving. From what Korra surmised, being assigned to the lieutenant wasn't a good thing, and She didn't want to imagine why- although she had a pretty good idea. _Rape. Beatings. Death_…

She shook herself out of her stupor. She had a job to do. "Hello?" Korra tried. "Anyone here? I brought your tea. Hey! "

No one answered.

Korra scowled. Was this some kind of joke? She thought about leaving, but she didn't want Madame Kuang to yell at her. She was already on rocky terms with her since she was a new arrival, and she definitely didn't want to get punished. She remembered Mako's last words to her before they were separated: " _Lay low," he said. Don't draw attention to yourself. Do what they tell you. We'll find a way out of this._" She sighed, and looked around. There was a sliding panel toward the back of the room. If she hadn't looked carefully, she wouldn't' have seen it. Korra cautiously approached it. She could hear muffled voices coming from the room behind it.

_Bingo_.

She awkwardly balanced the tea tray in one hand and wrenched open the door. The small room was full of men, probably palace guards. They were playing cards, but they stopped once they saw her. They looked young, except for the man at the head of the table. The creases around his eyes hinted that he was probably middle aged, but that wasn't what startled Korra. It was the hungry, almost predatory look that he gave her. His eyes raked across her body, taking in her form.

Korra trembled. _Come on, you can do this!_ She told herself. _You're the Avatar. You can handle whatever they throw at you. _She hoped that was true, for her sake.

She looked the man straight in the eye, her gaze unwavering. "Here's your tea," she said. She set the tray on the table, a little too forcefully, making a loud banging noise. She turned to leave.

"I didn't _dismiss_ you." Lieutenant Hao laid his cards on the table, his expression cold and hard. "You're staying here for a little while. To _entertain _us."

Korra faltered, before regaining her composure. This situation was taking a turn for the worst. She needed to diffuse the tension. "Okay," she said, crossing her arms. She could play their little game. "What do you want me to do? _Juggle_?"

One guard snorted at her remark, but the lieutenant frowned, unamused. "Come," he beckoned her. "Let me get a good look at that pretty little face of yours." His voice was sweet and smooth, like honey.

It sickened Korra.

"I think you can get a good look at me from where I'm standing." There was no way in hell she was going near him. Not when she knew what he wanted from her.

Lieutenant stood up, knocking his chair over. "You _will_ obey me." He lunged for Korra, grabbing her face with his hand. His fingers dug into her cheeks, smashing them together.

Korra's eyes went wide. "Mmmph!" _Let me go!_ It took every ounce of self control she possessed to keep from hitting him. She tried pushing him away, to no avail.

Hao sneered. "It looks like we've got ourselves a nice, young water tribe girl," he said, his eyes searching her face. The men hooted in excitement. Hao tightened his grip on her. "I've never tasted water tribe flesh before."

He forced his lips on hers, his breath reeking of stale firewhiskey and cigars.

_Hell. No._

Korra didn't think- she just reacted. She kneed him in the groin, eliciting a groan from him as he sank to the ground in pain.

She backed away from him, gasping. She had to get out of there. But Korra didn't have a chance to move. The other men were closing in on her. They didn't take too kindly to her assaulting their leader.

"You little Bitch!" A guard backhanded her, knocking her to the floor. Korra crawled to her hands and knees, panting heavily. Blood dripped from the corner of her mouth.

That. Was. It.

She looked up, wiping the blood away. "You're going to regret that."

The guard scoffed. "What are you going to do?" he gestured to the teapot. "Bend tea at us?"

The other men guffawed, obviously mocking her. The lieutenant was beginning to recover, and stood up. He stared at her in disgust. "Get up," he snarled.

Korra dragged herself to her feet, assuming a fighting stance. She was livid. "You think you're so brave don't you?" she spat. "Fight me."

The lieutenant raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

Korra growled. "I said, fight me, you Bastard!"

He didn't need to be told twice. He had every intention of teaching her a lesson. He came at her, fists aflame, determination in his eyes.

Korra didn't even flinch. She met him head on, sending a flaming kick to the chest his way.

He dropped like a stone, the wind knocked out of him.

Korra ignited her hands with fire, her expression smug. "Anyone else want a piece of me?"

The other guards stood, shell shocked. The water tribe girl had _firebended. _Impossible...

They came to their senses, all of them rushing her at once. Korra quickly surveyed the situation. Four against one. Not the best odds, but she could work with them.

Korra dodged every single blow, ducking and weaving. The guards may have been stronger, but she was faster. She flipped her body through the air, gaining enough momentum for a powerful kick that that took out two of the guards at once. They crumpled in a heap, out cold.

One man caught her by surprise with a fiery punch to the gut. Korra hissed at the pain caused by the burn, but she quickly retaliated, firing two explosive fire blasts at him. He staggered backward, but regained his balanced. Korra didn't give up. She generated a blazing arc, slicing the air with her flames before she made contact with the man's face. It took one, two, _three_ blows, before he tumbled to the ground.

Only one guard remained. The one who had hit her earlier. Korra smirked. This would be easy. She delivered quick, fiery jabs across his body, finishing with a firm kick in the shins that swept his feet out from under him. He landed on his back with a "thud".

Korra stood, chest heaving, as she took in the scene in front of her. Five men, including Lieutenant Hao, were lying unconscious on the floor.

Oh she was _so_ going to get it.

A man started to stir on the ground, groaning in pain. Korra bolted for the door, running as fast as she could. The man turned his head in her direction, catching a glimpse of her leaving. "Somebody, stop her!" he shouted.

Korra raced through the corridors of the palace, heart pounding, her arms and legs pumping wildly. She didn't know where she was going, but she had to get away. Maybe she could find Mako and Bolin, and they could escape. She rounded a corner, picking up speed. This was it. She was free.

She heard the pounding of footsteps behind her. "Guards! Stop her!" Korra ran even faster. She didn't go through all of this for nothing. She would be damned if she got caught.

She turned another corner. _Come, on you're almost there…_

She slammed into something. Hard.

"Arrgh!" She toppled to the floor, dazed. She looked up to find herself sprawled on top of a body adorned with ceremonial armor. Her eyes traveled further to find the person's face. A pair of golden eyes bored into hers, mirroring her shocked expression.

_Zuko…_

The sound of footsteps grew closer. Before Korra had time to react, Zuko hauled her to her feet, roughly grabbing her by her waist. She felt a searing heat against her neck. A fire dagger. She started to fight against his grip, when he whispered harshly in her ear. "Don't. Move." Zuko pressed the tips of his fingers into her waist, emphasizing his message.

A team of palace guards came into view, breathing hard from running. They froze when they saw that Zuko had apprehended Korra.

"Your Highness," panted a guard. "I see you've caught the girl."

"I did," Zuko said, his eyes narrowing. "What happened? How'd she get away?"

Lieutenant Hao stepped into view. Korra noticed that he had a slight limp. "That little whore attacked me and my men. She just ran out the door."

Zuko gritted his teeth. "You mean to tell me that you let this _girl_ overpower you?" You and your team are supposed to be the best guards in the palace. How was _she_ able to get the best of you?"

Hao flushed. "Well…she can firebend , Prince Zuko."

Korra expected Zuko to be surprised by this revelation. But if he was, he didn't show it. He simply nodded, not showing any emotion. "I'll see to it that she's punished. Severely."

Korra gasped at his statement, and started struggling. Had she been wrong about Zuko? She knew that he'd turned good at some point during the hundred year war. What was he going to do to her?

The Lieutenant chuckled. "Of course. Good day, Your Highness."

Zuko merely grunted in response.

He dragged her down a series of hallways, finally stopping when they were out of earshot. He released her, clearly annoyed. "What part of '_Don't move'_ don't you understand?"

Korra looked dumbfounded. "What?"

Zuko shook his head. "Never mind. Come on." He grabbed her arm, but Korra pulled away.

"Hold on," she said suspiciously. "Where are you taking me?"

He sighed. "I'm having you reassigned to a different servant's position. For obvious reasons. No one should have to serve Lieutenant Hao."

"Well, that's nice and all but…why are you helping me?" Her blue eyes shone with curiosity.

Zuko paused for a moment. Why was he helping her? He didn't have anything to gain by doing it. He was a Prince, and she was just a lowly peasant. But in the back of his mind, Zuko knew the reason. He'd seen her as she was forcibly dragged through the streets with her friends, to the palace. He saw her being forced into servitude, and he did nothing to stop it. This was his chance for redemption. "It doesn't matter," he finally said. "Now come _on_. I don't have all day."

He steered her down various hallways before stopping at the entrance to the servant's quarter. "We're here," he said, turning to Korra. "I'm not going in with you. Tell Madame Kuang that I've arranged for you to be assigned to a position in the kitchens."

Korra nodded. Her fingers swept aside the red curtain that covered the doorway. She looked back at Zuko. "Thank you. For doing this."

Zuko froze, glaring at her. "You really shouldn't be thanking me." _It's partly my fault that you're in this situation, _he thought. I_ could've helped you earlier. But I didn't. _

Korra furrowed her brow, puzzled. "But-"

"Trust me," he said. "I haven't done _anything_ to deserve praise."

He stormed away, leaving a confused Korra in his wake.

* * *

Azula lurked in the shadows, smiling deviously as she watched her brother walk away from the water tribe girl. He'd helped her. He went out of his way, when he didn't have to. Personally, Azula would've left the girl with the lieutenant, but it looked like Zuko had a heart. _How sweet_, she thought dully.

And then a realization came over her.

Zuko was aiding the slave that she captured. He was undermining her authority. Azula growled. She'd intended for the girl to be punished, not become her brother's pet.

She had an idea.

She was going to teach him a lesson. If Zuko liked the water tribe girl so much, then he would get her.

Azula would make sure of that.

* * *

**So how was it? Let me know what you think in the review section. Also, just to let you know, I'm currently looking for a Beta reader, so if anyone would like to volunteer, I would really appreciate it. Otherwise, I'll just have to go Beta shopping (lol!) :). Anyway, I hope that every one has a safe and happy New Year! :D See you in 2013!**


	5. Heat of the Flames

**Hey Guys, I'm back! How's it going? Anyways, here's Chapter 5! This is kind of long (about 5,000 words), so please don't kill me. It was originally supposed to be even _longer_, but I obviously couldn't post a 10,000 word chapter, so I did some editing. I also noticed that I got 22 REVIEWS for the last chapter. That is just...wow. Thank you so much! This is my first fanfic, and I can't believe how many people are reading it. You guys are seriously the best. Thanks to everyone who's reviewed, or followed or favorited this story. Hugs and kisses for all of you! :)  
**

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own the Legend of Korra or Avatar: the last Airbender**.  
**_

_**Previously on Avatar: Blast From the Past- The Krew had a "showdown" with Azula, resulting in them being forced into slavery at the Fire Nation Royal Palace. Korra also had an encounter with Zuko, who saved her from the evil Lieutenant Hao.  
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* * *

**Book One: Fire (****火****)  
Chapter 5- Heat of the Flames**

Mako frowned, staring at the grime on the blood red marble. He and Bolin were currently in a deserted corridor of the Fire Nation Royal Palace, mopping the floors and silently fuming. After being separated from Korra, they were ushered to a room with other captives where they were unceremoniously bathed and given fresh clothes to wear. Although Mako wasn't sure that he would call it bathing. Having buckets of icy water thrown over his bare body wasn't a very pleasant experience.

He had also been branded. He stole a glance at the back of his hand, now marked with the Fire Nation insignia to signal his status as a slave. He had been able to take the pain when they burned the symbol into his flesh, but Bolin on the other hand, hadn't fared so well. Mako winced as his screams replayed in his mind. He hated seeing his little brother in so much pain.

The mop made a splashing sound as Mako dipped it into the bucket. He and his brother worked side by side, in silence. Neither of them said a word, but they both thought the same thing.

This was Korra's fault.

Sure, maybe Azula had been angry with all of them, but if it wasn't for Korra, they wouldn't have ran into Azula in the first place, because they wouldn't be stuck in the past. Then again, that was just another one of the many perks of being friends with the Avatar: being trapped in a different time period, while also working in a palace as a slave.

_Great_, Mako thought. _Just Great_.

He sighed. Sometimes he wondered what his life would be like if he didn't know Korra. Most likely he would still be a probender living a quiet life at the arena, surrounded by his adoring fans. He would have no distractions, no worries…

And no excitement.

As much as he hated to admit it, Korra was a fun person to be around. Of course there were drawbacks, such as having to fight off equalists and spending nights in jail, but, in the end… it was all worth it.

Mako smiled to himself as he pondered this, when Bolin suddenly knocked over the bucket sitting on the floor, drenching his shoes with dirty water. He scowled, his smile gone. "Bolin!"

Bolin winced. "Aw, man, I'm sorry, Mako," he said, standing the bucket up.

Mako grimaced at his shoes.

Bolin resumed mopping, pausing for a second when two servant girls entered the corridor, giggling and chattering excitedly. They wore simple scarlet tops and long skirts, and had their hair styled into customary topknots. His green eyes followed them, a foolish grin on his face.

Mako pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation at his brother's short attention span. "Bolin, you need to focus. We have a job to do. "

He shook himself out of his trance, frowning. "Yeah, I know. It's just that…"

"What?"

"This really sucks, doesn't it? This entire situation with the time issue and now being forced to work here…" He trailed off, sadness filling his eyes. "I just wish there was something we could do about it."

Mako paused. He couldn't argue with his brother there. "Yeah, Bo," he said. "So do I."

Bolin rinsed the mop in the bucket, and continued. "I mean, I know we shouldn't have pushed her like that, but did Azula have to enslave us? Come _on_."

Mako chuckled. "Well, she's a little crazy, Bo. You never know what to expect from her. "

"Yeah…" Bolin said, a thought crossing his mind. "She may be totally insane, but, you know…she's also kind of hot. In a dangerous way. But still."

Mako groaned.

Bolin had always been a little "girl crazy", but hitting on Princess Azula went too far. As in way too far. _Does he even have standards_? "Bro…just…don't go there. Please."

Bolin snorted, about to respond, when he caught wind of what the two slave girls were gossiping about as they passed by.

"_Yes, the water tribe girl-_"

"-_Can't believe she firebended-"_

Bolin nearly dropped the mop. The words "water tribe girl" and "firebended" replayed in his mind. They could only be talking about one person. After all, how many firebending water tribe girls worked as servants here?

He could only think of one.

Bolin whistled, getting their attention. "Hey!"

The girls stopped in their tracks, confusion written all over their faces. Bolin hurried over, not wasting anytime; screw the mop. He had to find out what they were saying about Korra.

He offered his hand and one girl shook it apprehensively. The other looked like a frightened baby deer and shrank back. "Hey. Name's Bo…Dante." He'd almost forgotten not to use his real name.

The one with light brown hair giggled. "I'm Ling." She gestured to the raven haired girl standing beside her, who ducked her head shyly, looking away. "This is my friend, Jie."

Bolin furrowed his brow. "What's with her?" he asked, nodding toward Jie.

"Oh, her?" Ling shrugged. "Jie's always been shy around new people. She doesn't say much."

Mako narrowed his eyes, watching Bolin interact with the girls. Was his brother seriously fooling around at a time like this? "Bo," he called "You can flirt later. We have to get back to work!"

Bolin held up his finger. _One second_. He turned back to the girls. "So Ling. Jie. I heard you talking, and I just can't resist getting the latest palace gossip, if you know what I mean. What were you saying about the, er, firebending water tribe girl?" He ran his fingers through his hair, anxious.

Mako's ears perked up at this. The_ what?_ His heat pounded faster in his chest. _It has to be Korra._He looked from the dirty mop to his brother and the girls. He supposed that he could finish up later. He reluctantly came over to listen in.

Jie let out a small squeak when Mako walked up to the group. Ling, however, smiled before continuing. "Well, it's quite the scandal. Apparently, she tried to escape, and she assaulted Lieutenant Hao and his men, the top guards in the palace."

Mako and Bolin exchanged a glance. There was no doubt about it. This was definitely their Water Tribe friend.

"Well, what happened to her?" Mako cut in. Bolin mentally groaned at this. His brother's social skills were lacking to say the least. He barged up, didn't even bother to say hi...

Ling looked around, seeming to check to make sure they were alone and lowered her voice to a whisper. "They say that Prince Zuko captured her. But there's more." she looked giddy. "Instead of punishing her he had Madame Kuang reassign her! Isn't that sweet?"

Bolin exhaled in relief. Korra was okay. "So, where is she now?" he pressed on.

"The Fire Lord decided to contract her to someone else," Ling said, "As a personal servant."

Bolin's face scrunched up in confusion until he saw the girl waggle her eyebrows suggestively. Oh. Personal like that. He tried not to gag at the thought of his friend being forced to serve some old pervert. But the image just wouldn't leave his mind...

Mako tensed up. _If Korra was harmed in any way…"_Who?"

Ling smiled slyly. "You'll _never _guess..."

* * *

Prince Zuko walked briskly through the halls of the palace, hurrying to his father's office. The Fire Lord had summoned him without out an explanation, just a scroll requesting his presence immediately. Zuko was a little anxious about the meeting. His father was an unpredictable man, and he hoped that this urgent conference would bring good news. He remembered all too well the last time he and his father had an important encounter.

His fingers instinctively brushed against his scar. His father had done that to him. He'd marred his own son's face.

Zuko let his hand drop and continued his walk. It wouldn't be like that this time. His father was proud of him for slaying the Avatar. Zuko had his honor back.

A voice nagged in the back of his mind. _But it's all a lie_, it reminded him. _Aang is still alive, and you know it. You're lying to everyone.  
_  
Zuko shook his head, trying to silence his conscience. If Aang wasn't dead yet, he would be soon. Zuko had an assassin on his trail, and he had no doubt that he would successfully complete his task. He had better. Zuko had no intention of telling his father that the Fire Nation's greatest threat was alive and well.

He reached the office and knocked on the door. There was a pause before a voice inside responded.

"_Enter_."

Zuko pushed open the door to reveal a richly decorated room with gleaming wooden floors. The Fire Nation flag hung on the wall behind his father's desk, where the Fire Lord currently sat with Azula standing by his side.

Zuko bowed. "Father."

Ozai nodded. "You may rise, my son."

Zuko slowly got to his feet, his mind still whirling. Ozai had called him "my son". He couldn't remember the last time he had done that. It had to have been years ago, before he was banished.

The Fire Lord beckoned him closer. "Prince Zuko, your sister tells me that you have developed certain…affections….for a young lady."

Zuko cleared his throat, unsure of where this was going. "Well, Mai and I have been dating for a while-"

"I was not referring to Lady Mai."

Zuko was taken aback. His eyes flickered to Azula, who only smirked. _What is he talking about?_ "Then who _were_you referring to?"

Azula stepped forward. "He's talking about that lovely, young water tribe girl, of course. You know, the one who I captured this morning?"

Zuko tensed. "Yes, Azula, I know," he said, becoming irritated. "But I don't understand what she has to do with me."

"Really?" she asked, lifting an eyebrow. "So you don't remember helping her earlier? How you saved her from Lieutenant Hao and refused to give her the beating she deserved?"

Zuko gritted his teeth, attempting to reel in his anger at her obvious taunting. "Azula, I swear if you don't-"

Ozai drummed his fingers on the desk. "Prince Zuko."

Zuko grudgingly closed his mouth and met his father's gaze. "Yes, Father?"

"Your sister was kind enough to come to me with her observations about you and the water tribe slave. She thinks that you are in need of private attendant, and that the girl would be the perfect candidate for the job."

The color drained from Zuko's face. A private attendant? He knew exactly what those were for. He didn't require one, not while he was with Mai, at least. "I-I think there's been a mistake. I don't want a personal servant. I'm fine."

Ozai chuckled. "Nonsense, Prince Zuko. You're a growing boy, not to mention the Crown Prince of the Nation. You need a servant to help you unwind."

Zuko nearly choked. He wasn't sure what disturbed him more- the fact that his Father was giving him a slave for _that _or the fact that his sister was the one who came up with idea. Talk about a messed up family.

"No, really, it's okay," he said. "You don't have to do that." _In fact, please don't. Please._

"It has already been done. The girl is awaiting you in your chambers."

A heavy silence hung in the air.

"Well, aren't you going to thank your sister for her gift? It was very thoughtful."

Zuko clenched his fists, trying to control his anger. Thank her? For what? For giving him a servant girl that he didn't want and who could potentially ruin his relationship with Mai?

"Yeah. _Thanks_." He didn't to wait for his Father to dismiss him, storming out of the office, and slamming the door behind him. He was would get an earful for doing that later, but he didn't care. If Mai found out that he had a private servant ...

_Oh spirits_. She would kill him.

"Oh, Zuko?"

_Dammit. Azula._He turned around, glaring at her. "What do you want?"

Azula feigned a pout. "I'm just feeling a little hurt. What's the matter, ZuZu? Didn't you like my gift?"

Zuko didn't hit girls, but his sister was pushing it. He lashed out at her. "What the hell was that back there? A private servant? You know I'm with Mai!"

A light, mocking sound escaped from Azula's throat as she laughed. "I'll take that as a no."

His resolve broke. He shoved her up against the wall, pinning her shoulders down, absolutely seething. "What kind of game are you playing?"

Azula went rigid in his grasp, her golden eyes full of pure loathing. "I'm teaching you a lesson," she said. Maybe next time you'll think twice about aiding a slave that I intended to punish. I assigned her to the lieutenant for a reason, Zuko. I wanted her to suffer."

Zuko's grip slackened at his sister's words. He'd known that she was cruel, but to purposely endanger someone 's life like that? Hao had killed his last two servants, under the pretense that they had suffered unfortunate "accidents". Was Azula really that unforgiving?

His moment of surprise was all she needed.

Azula shifted under him and whipped her leg up, her foot connecting directly with his face. Zuko's head snapped back and he released her, clutching his jaw in pain. He'd probably deserved that, but he wasn't going to let Azula get away that easily.

He ignored the dull ache in his jaw, grabbing her by her arm and backing her up into a corner. "That's why you did this." it wasn't a question. "To get back at me for doing something decent. But you didn't even think about Mai, did you? What is she going to think when she finds out about the girl waiting in my room?"

Azula shrugged and wriggled out of his grasp, walking away. "That's your problem. Not mine."

Zuko was dumfounded. He stood there gaping for a moment, trying to think of something, anything to hurl back at her.

"You…you-" He came up empty. Crap.

Azula kept walking, her laughter echoing through the hall. She turned to look over her shoulder as she rounded the corner. "You're pathetic, Zuko."

" Argh!" Zuko pounded his fist into a nearby wall, furious. _Damn Her_.

* * *

Korra paced back and forth around the Fire Prince's bedroom, muttering to herself. "Mad" couldn't even begin to describe the way she felt. She was angrier than a killer whale seal. If she could, she would gladly roast Zuko alive for doing this to her. But that would present even more problems. Killing the future fire lord while he was still a teenager would definitely mess up history, and maybe even affect the future. Not to mention the fact that it would also get her executed.

Korra sighed, flopping down on Zuko's chaise lounge. She'd trusted him. She really thought that he was being genuinely nice when he saved her from Hao. Of course, Korra knew from Katara's stories that Zuko wasn't always a good person. For years, he hunted Aang, attacking him and his friends many times. But he'd changed. He became close to the Avatar, helping him win the war and establish the United Republic. Korra met the old Fire Lord once when she was younger, when he came to visit Katara at the South Pole. He was stoic and didn't say much, but he was still a respected leader and hero.

_But this isn't the same Zuko_, Korra reminded herself. She was in a different country, in a different time period where Zuko was barely a few months younger than her. He was just a teenage boy.

_Yeah_, she thought sourly. _A lying, scheming teenage boy ruled by his hormones_. There was no way she was going to be his personal attendant. Maybe she would end up roasting him alive after all.

She heard a key turn in the doorknob and immediately scrambled off the couch, smoothing her dress. She planned on giving him a piece of her mind. _Showtime._

Zuko entered his chambers, his shoulders hunched and his mouth pursed into a thin line. He looked up to see Korra practically charging at him.

_What in Agni's name..._

"What the hell is this?" she asked, shooting him an accusatory glare. "You came to my rescue just to make me your personal plaything?"

Zuko backed up. "What? No! That's not what-"

"Oh, save it," she snapped. "You wouldn't let Hao have me because you wanted me for yourself." Her finger jabbed into his chest. "Admit it!"

Zuko blinked. This girl was crazy. "It wasn't like that at all-"

"Really?" she scoffed. "Care to explain why I'm dressed up liked a royal whore, then?" She gestured to her red silk dress and freshly done makeup.

Zuko's eyes ran down her form, his cheeks flushing. "Well, you weren't supposed to-"

"I wasn't supposed to what?" she crossed her arms, her eyes burning with anger."I knew you had a motive for helping me, but I didn't realize what it was. Until now."

Zuko took a deep breath and tried not to lose control of his self. This girl was treading in dangerous territory with him, and he was fed up with her ranting. "Just. Let. Me. Explain-"

"Well, I don't want to hear it-"

"Shut UP!" That sent him over the edge. He refused to stand there and listen to this nonsense any longer.

Korra fell silent, shocked by his sudden outburst. What was his problem?

Zuko took a deep breath, massaging his temples with one hand. _Ok_, he thought. So he had an irrational water tribe girl in his room. No big deal. He just needed to think of a quick, easy solution...

His eyes snapped up to meet hers the moment the idea entered his head. "You need to leave," he said harshly.

Korra leaned forward. "Come again?"

"I said, _'you need to leave'_. I don't want a personal servant, and I already have a girlfriend. If she finds you here, we're both dead." An image of Mai brandishing her knives flashed through his mind, causing a slight shudder to run through his body. Mai was scary when she was angry, and he didn't want to die today.

Korra faltered, caught off guard. "Wait a second. If you didn't want me here then, why am I..."

"It's complicated." He didn't feel like going into detail, and hoped she would drop the subject.

She didn't. "How so?"

Zuko swore under his breath. "Look, apparently, Azula thought it would be funny to do this, as a...a scheme to get back at me. She wasn't pleased with what happened between you, me and Hao." _And she knew this would irritate the hell out of me.  
_  
Korra's face went blank, her expression unreadable. "Oh." Her cheeks tinged red with embarrassment. She had come to the wrong conclusion.

"Yeah." A wave of awkwardness washed over them, making them both uncomfortable.

Korra broke the silence first. "I'm…sorry for blowing up like that. I just thought..."

Zuko waved his hand. "Don't worry. I get it." She was probably scared and confused. It was a normal reaction.

He looked at her with renewed interest. This was his second time encountering her, and he still scarcely knew anything about her. Well, except that she was a firebender from the Water Tribe. He still couldn't wrap his head around that one.

"What's your name?" he asked, suddenly curious.

Korra stared at him. "Huh?"

"Your _name_."

"Oh! Right." She scrambled to think of a response. What had she gone by before? "I'm… Kai," she finally said.

"Kai," he repeated, trying it out. "I like that."

Korra shifted uneasily, wringing her hands. Something about being alone, in a _bedroom_ with Zuko just didn't set right with her. "Yeah, well I'd better go," she said hurriedly. "Wouldn't want Mai to find me here. Plus, this makeup is really itchy."

Zuko's eyes widened, his focus returning. "Right, of course! You should do that."

He watched her leaving, barely a few steps from the door when he suddenly remembered something. "Wait!"

Korra stopped, annoyed. "What?"

"I never asked you- how is it that you're able to firebend?"

She froze. She knew that what she pulled with Hao would eventually raise some questions, but unfortunately, she still wasn't prepared to answer them. "It's not something I really talk about," she said, trying to dodge his question. "It's a really boring story and-"

"I'd like to hear it."

_Well, shit_. Korra walked over and sat on the edge of Zuko's bed, with him following suit.

"So?"

She hesitated, unsure of where to begin. "My…my father was a firebender. My mother, obviously, was a Water Tribe woman." _Come on,_ Korra chided herself. _ You need to say more than that. Lies require details_. "They met under unusual circumstances."

Zuko waited for her to continue, and she sighed, racking her brain for more information. "My mother was an inmate in a Fire Nation prison, and my father was a guard. They had a…thing," she internally cringed at how bad this sounded, "and I was born. But they couldn't keep me because I was an, erm, love child, so I grew up as an orphan."

Korra was a horrible liar. She held her breath to see if Zuko would buy her terribly crafted story.

A silence passed over them. "That's …rough," he said. How else was he supposed to respond to that?

Korra wanted to bolt from the room.

_Bolt from the room_. The gears started churning in her head as she looked at Zuko, and it was then that she realized how she was going to escape from the palace. "Can I ask you a question now?"

"Shoot."

"Promise to say yes?"

"Depends on what it is."

She took a deep breath. "I was wondering if you would help me and my…cousins bust out of here. You know, escape from slavery?"

Zuko was on his feet instantly, gaping in horror. "You're kidding, right?"

"I'm dead serious."

Zuko clenched his jaw in anger. The audacity of this girl! After everything he had done for her! "No," He said flatly.

"But-"

"I'm not doing it. You have no right to ask that of me!"

She slid off the bed, walking closer to him. "But you don't understand! I'm not supposed to be here. I have to get back home. There are people counting on me!"

Zuko's face grew hot. "Don't you think I've heard the same story from the other servants?" he spat. "The same, "I have to get back home" crap? I don't have the power to free you, so why don't you just drop it?"

Korra kept trying. "But you're the Fire Lord," she reminded him. "There must be something you can do."

There was a pause as Zuko stared at her incredulously. "Did you just call me the Fire Lord?"

Dammit. She had slipped. Zuko wasn't the ruler of the nation in this era. "You know what I meant. You're the Fire Prince. Shouldn't you hold some kind of influence?"

"My father is the one who actually owns you," Zuko said bitterly. "Not me. You're his property. There's nothing I can do."

Korra growled in frustration. Why was he being so difficult? "Then just tell him to free me. It's not that hard. I _deserve _to get out of here. "

A dangerous look flashed across Zuko's face. He'd had enough. He grabbed her by her arm, wrenching her close they were eye to eye. "Who do you think you are?" he asked, his voice shaking with anger. "I've been nothing kind to you, but I refuse tolerate this any longer. Are you forgetting your place? I'm a Prince," he hissed. "You're a slave. A peasant."

Korra didn't waver, although Zuko's reaction alarmed her greatly. At this particular moment, it wasn't hard to believe that he was related to Azula. He had the same, malicious look in his eye. "Let me go," she said calmly.

"Or what? You're mine. I can do what I want." He squeezed her arm tighter. "I suggest you leave. I'll tell Madame Kuang that you're returning to the servant's quarters. I don't want to hurt you, but I will if I have to."

Korra scoffed. "Hurt me? You wish. I kicked Hao's ass. I'll kick yours too."

He snapped, brandishing a fist full of fire in her face. "You take that back!"

He grunted when Korra elbowed him in stomach, freeing herself. She ignited her hands, anger stirring inside her as she cocked her head to the side. "You really want to do this?" She knew he was bluffing about hurting her, and she was prepared to call him out on it.

Zuko looked from his flames to hers. This was ridiculous! He couldn't believe that he was having a fight with his own servant. He sighed, extinguishing his fire. "I won't duel you," he said slowly. "But I won't help you escape either. Now get out. "He turned his back, waiting to hear the sound of her footsteps as she left the room.

He didn't expect to feel a small hand tentatively touch his shoulder.

"Please?" Korra asked, a hint of desperation in her voice. She hated begging, but she didn't have a choice. She couldn't escape on her own. Her last attempt had proved that.

_Don't turn around_, he told himself. _Ignore her_. But then he heard a soft whimper. He hesitantly looked over his shoulder.

"Are you…crying?" he asked, bewildered.

Korra shook her head vigorously, hiding her face. "No." _Another lie_.

Zuko didn't know what to do. He didn't want to help her, but he suddenly felt guilty. She was crying because she had lost her freedom. And she lost her freedom because he had been too scared to speak up.

Korra shut her eyes, breathing shakily. She couldn't cry. Not now, not in front of him. Crying showed weakness. But as she realized the weight of the situation, she couldn't stop the tears that trickled down her cheeks. She was never going to get out of here. She would remain here, stuck in the past for an entire _year_. And the Spirits! By the time she returned home…if she returned home…everything would be destroyed by them. She wouldn't be able to save Republic City.

Zuko moved to face her, standing awkwardly as her tears fell. Should he comfort her? He had no experience with crying women. "Uh…don't do that," He said quietly. "Don't cry."

She ignored him, and he honestly couldn't blame her. He groaned, trying again. "I mean, I won't help you escape, but you'll only be here for a year. It's…not that bad. Right?"

A shudder ran through Korra's body as a sob escaped from her lips. She hiccuped, trying to steady her breathing. _Pull yourself together_! She thought. _You can't let him see you like this_.

Zuko ran his hands down his face, at his wits end. He wanted her to stop. He couldn't take this anymore. _Do something!_ He scolded himself.

He didn't know what possessed him to say it. Maybe it was his own remorse, or maybe it was her crying. All he knew was that the words tumbled out of his mouth before he could stop them, and once they were out, it was too late to take them back.

"I'll do it." He wanted to kick himself for uttering that sentence.

Korra looked up, baffled. "What did you say?"

Zuko swallowed. There was no going back now. "I said, I'll do it. I'll help you get out of here."

For a moment, Korra was motionless. Zuko didn't know what to make of it. _Did she hear me?_ he wondered.

And then she ran toward him, giving him a bone crushing hug. "Really? Thank you so much!"

Zuko cringed in pain, attempting to pry her off. She was a lot stronger than she looked. He swore that he could hear his spine cracking, and she was also touching him _again, w_ithout permission. "Ger…off," he wheezed.

Korra might have backed off of him, that is, if she had time. The door unexpectedly swung open with a bang, revealing dark haired girl clothed in a crimson robe. Her face contorted in anger as she flashed several small knives. "ZUKO!"

Korra jumped away from Zuko, startled. _Uh oh_.

"Mai, this isn't what it looks like!" Zuko said, frantically trying to calm down his irate girlfriend. "We were only-"

"Oh, shut it!" she hurled a knife at him, barely missing him by a few inches. "I wasn't good enough for you? You had to _cheat_ on me?"

That was her cue to leave. Korra hightailed it out of there, sprinting out the room. Even with the door closed, she could hear Mai screaming at the Fire Prince. _Ouch_.

She started for the servant's quarters, excitement building in her chest. She smiled at the thought of seeing her friends again. Wait until Mako and Bolin found out the good news…

* * *

The girl hid in the shadows, ducking out of sight as the young Water Tribe woman left the Prince's chambers.

She had heard everything.

She knew that the Prince was plotting to help her escape the Palace. A treasonous act. Stealing property from his own father!

The servant girl shook her head. She couldn't allow this to happen. She would alert her mistress, immediately. She would put a stop to this, before it got too far.

She ran from her hiding spot, her raven locks trailing behind her.

_I'm on my way Princess_, she thought. _I won't fail you_.

* * *

**So, Love it? Hate it? Tell me with a review! I got sooo many for the last chapter, and i would love to see that happen again. So what do you think guys? Can you give me another 20? Thanks! By the way, chapter 6 should be up around mid February! See ya then! :)**


	6. Out of the Ashes (Part 1)

**I'm back! Sorry about the ridiculously long wait. Things were really crazy with school, and, well, life in general. On the bright side, I recently celebrated my 16th birthday! (eep!). Hopefully, since I'm another year older, my writing will have improved. Anyway, here's chapter 6! Enjoy guys, and thanks for your continued support of this story!**

**Disclaimer: Although I wish I did, I don't own ATLA/LOK. Sorry :(**

**_Previously on Avatar: Blast from the Past (Although you might want to skim the previous chapter, just to freshen your memories) _- **Mako and Bolin learned about Korra's stunt with Lieutenant Hao from two servant girls named Ling and Jie. Azula played a dirty trick on Zuko by having Korra assigned to him as a bed slave. And, Zuko and Korra had a little conversation, which ended with Zuko promising to help her and her friends escape the palace (a fact that was overheard by a treacherous servant girl).

* * *

**Book One: Fire (**火**)**

**Chapter 6-****Out of the Ashes (part 1)**

Zuko sat on his bed, holding his head in his hands. Mai, though still upset, had left a while ago, somewhat satisfied with the explanation he offered her about the presence of his newest Water Tribe slave. He'd dismissed his staff of servants, saying that he needed time to himself. Zuko was alone, and he finally had time to dwell on what he agreed to do. Time to process the favor that he had carelessly promised Kai.

He had agreed to help her flee the Palace, and not only did that arrangement go against every ounce of Palace protocol that was ingrained into him, but it was also against the law, which made it anything _but _a good idea. In fact, it was a terrible one.

Zuko groaned. He felt like such an idiot. He was the Crown Prince, and as the heir to the throne, he was supposed to be living the good life- having servants at his beck and call, taking his pick of any girl he wanted, and learning how to be an adequate ruler. He was supposed to be calm, cool, collected, aloof. What he wasn't supposed to do? Help slave girls pull off half-baked escape plans.

He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. _Stupid_. That was the only word to describe his actions. He could've-no he _should've _said no. It would have been a lot easier than the scheme that he was about to attempt. But he was never one to take the easy route, though something told him that this latest plot would earn him more than a simple banishment if he were caught. His father would probably burn him to a crisp- that is, if there would even _be_ anything left after he was through with him. Zuko wasn't so sure.

He flopped back on the bed, raking his hands down his face in frustration. He'd thought about backing out of it. He could pretend like he didn't know about the deal and that he didn't even know the slave girl. But he made a promise, and breaking it would be dishonorable. He would have to go through with it now.

"Oh Zuko…"

Zuko's head snapped up at the sudden sound of footsteps outside his door. A sing song voice called out and he pulled himself up to a sitting position, looking around. "Who's there?" he said.

The door swung open, banging against the wall with so much force that the furniture shook. Zuko took one look at the figure standing in the door way, and immediately groaned. Not her. Aside from his father, she was the last person he wanted to see. "Let me guess," he said dryly. It didn't occur to you to knock, did it?"

Azula strolled into the chamber, a servant girl close behind. She stopped at the foot of Zuko's bed, her hands on her hips, head cocked to the side. Her crimson lips formed into a smile. "Nope. I kind of like barging into rooms announced. It puts people on edge, and it's always fun to watch someone squirm."

Zuko blinked, speechless. He didn't know how to respond to that. Then again, Azula seemed to have that effect on everyone.

"Leave us." She turned to the servant. "I have some business to discuss with my brother."

"Yes, Princess." The girl bobbed her head, her raven locks falling over her face. She placed a tray with a tea pot and cakes on Zuko's bedside table and exited the chamber, closing the door with a faint _click_.

The Prince and Princess stared at each other, silence washing over them. Azula's mouth twitched, hiding a smirk.

Zuko made the first move. He rose, approaching his sister. Every bone in his body told him that something was off. He didn't trust her, at all. "Why are you here? Haven't you done enough already? Thanks to you, Mai's pissed with me."

Azula rolled her eyes. "Well, as much as I would _love_ to gloat about that, that's not the reason I came." She gestured to the table. "I brought you lunch. Figured you'd be hungry after being holed up in your room all day. You missed the mid-day meal with me and Dad. "

Zuko's eyes flickered to the tray. Tea, cakes, a bowl of rice and komodo chicken…all looking fresh and delicious. He turned back to Azula. "What are you up to?"

Azula snorted. "Why, nothing, dear brother," she said, sitting on the edge of his bed. She crossed her legs and reached for the tea pot, pouring him a fresh cup of the steaming liquid. She held it out to him, smirking. "Have some."

Zuko stood rooted to the spot. _Who are you, and what have you done with my crazy sister_? This was abnormal behavior for Azula. In fact, this behavior would be abnormal for anyone in his family, save for Uncle.

He reluctantly sank down beside her, taking the cup. He stared at it for a moment, looking for any hint of powder, odd coloring, unusual fluids…

"It's not poisoned, if that's what you're thinking."

He glanced at her. "Right. I knew that." The cup reached his lips, and he swallowed, savoring the bitter tang of the tea leaves coupled with the sweetness of honey. It tasted fine, good even. _Huh_, he thought. Maybe he should've Azula the benefit of the doubt after all.

And then he saw the callous expression on her face, her golden eyes holding a devious spark. He set the cup down. "Uh…on second thought, I'm not that hungry."

Azula leaned in toward him, coming much too close. "Oh really?" she quipped, twirling a lock of hair around her finger. "Why don't you try the chicken now?" She leered at him, her movements almost predatory.

Zuko nearly fell off the bed in an effort to get away from her. He was on his feet in a flash, fists clenched. "Drop the act, Azula. You're here for something. What is it?"

Azula was quiet for a moment. Finally, she spoke, all the pleasantness in her voice gone. "I wondered when you'd catch on," she said, inspecting her manicure. "I guess you're not as dense as I thought."

Zuko ignored the jibe. "Spill it. _Now_."

"Well, aren't you impatient?" she grinned slyly. "Since you're so desperate to know, I came here because a little birdie told me that you and that slave girl of yours were making _plans_. Escape plans."

Zuko's blood ran cold. How did she know? He'd told _no one_ about the plan. In fact, he hadn't even made one yet, but idea of Azula already knowing that he was plotting something was enough to scare him. If she knew, who else did?

He licked his lips, his heart pounding in his chest. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Azula arched a brow. "Really? So you're telling me that my servant didn't overhear you promise to help that _poor_,_ little_ slave girl regain her freedom? Are you calling her a _liar,_ Zuko?"

Zuko felt sweat pooling under his tunic. He had to go about this carefully. Azula was fully aware that the information that the servant fed her was correct. She was testing him. If he said yes, he would incriminate himself, but if he said no, that would disprove the servant girl's story, and Azula would punish her out of spite. He looked at his sister, unsure of what to say.

His silence said it all. Azula crawled off the bed and sauntered over to him, sneering. "So it's true then?" He averted his eyes from her gaze. "You really are helping her escape. I always knew you were a fool, Zuko, but this," she shook her head, "this officially moves you to the 'idiot' category."

Zuko turned his back to her, gripping the sides of his desk. "Tell me something I don't know."

She stood behind him. "Why are you doing it? You know better than this. You know what can happen."

"It's something I have to do."

Azula scoffed. "Trying to play 'hero' again, are you? Wake up, Zuko! She's a peasant. You have no obligation to her."

Zuko growled, spinning around. "I need to restore her freedom. I owe her that much." He thought back to her capture, running a hand through his hair. "Besides, why do you care? You've never liked me that much anyway. Why don't you just stay out of it?"

She narrowed her eyes, her voice dangerously low. "You're the stupidest, most imbecilic wretch in the whole kingdom," she said, prodding a finger into his face. "But you're also my brother. If you get caught, your actions won't be forgiven this time, and I won't allow that to happen. It's disgraceful."

Zuko didn't know whether to laugh or be insulted. Of course Azula would chalk it up to him embarrassing the family again, but deep down, she really cared about him. And it was nice to hear that. His expression softened. "I appreciate your concern, but I've made up my mind. I'm going through with it. And you're _not_ going to stop me."

A few beats of silence passed between them before Azula spoke. "Well then, "she said, backing away from him. "I suppose I can't help you. You're just like Uncle. Foolish. And weak. I'm not surprised that you're choosing to follow in his footsteps." She placed a finger on her chin, mockingly. "What_ is_ that saying again? Traitors of a feather flock together? "

Zuko gritted his teeth, attempting to control his growing anger. "How…_dare_…you." His voice was quiet, but it shook with rage. "How dare you speak about Uncle that way! You don't-" he broke off, taking a trembling breath. "You don't understand what he's done for me. When I was banished, Uncle was there for me. Not you, not Dad. _Uncle_."

Not that long ago, Zuko had been alone, forced to scour the world for a person who was nearly impossible to find, much less capture. Iroh had stayed by his side, guiding him, treating him like his own son. Zuko couldn't see it then, but now, he regarded Iroh as a second father. _A little too late for that though_, he told himself, as he had thoughtlessly betrayed his uncle back in Ba Sing Se. It was something that he was still ashamed of.

Azula clapped. "How _touching_," she said. "Maybe the two of you can share a cell after I report you. I can even arrange for bunk beds."

His hands curled into fists. "Get out."

"_Please_. You think you can order _me_ around? "

Zuko growled. "I said get out, Azula!" He gestured to the food. "And take this with you. I don't want it. Only Agni knows what you've done to it."

Azula smirked, lifting her shoulders in a shrug. "Fine. Have it your way, then. But don't blame me when Father has you executed." She started to leave when she paused, leaning against the door frame. "And Zuko? Keep the food. Something tells me that you'll enjoy it."

He eyed her as she stood in the doorway. "I thought I told you to leave," he said.

"Oh, I'm about to, don't worry." She flicked her hand at the tray. "Just take a bite for me. A little taste won't _kill_ you, ZuZu."

He gulped nervously. He knew that eating anything she gave him would be a foolish move. But he was so desperate for her to leave. _I'll spit it out afterward_, he reasoned.

He grabbed the bowl, shoveling a few bites of the komodo chicken into his mouth. "Mmm, see?" he said, his mouth full. "I ate it. Are you happy now…ahh!"

His mouth was on fire. His tongue was burning from the spices. He choked it back up, hacking and spitting. "Gahhh…" What did she do to this? What in Agni's name did she _do_?"

Azula sniggered. "Oops. I guess I added too many fire flakes. She turned on her heels, leaving Zuko doubled over, panting. "Goodbye ZuZu."

Zuko fumbled for the teapot, taking a large gulp straight from the spout, not even caring that it would scald his tongue. He wiped his mouth, his face red.

And for the second time that day, Zuko cursed his sister.

* * *

The servant's quarters were bustling with activity when Korra walked through the curtain covered entrance. Everywhere she turned, people milled around- kitchen attendants gearing up for the evening meal; servants chatting with each other as they headed off to complete their next task; she even saw a group of children playing under the watchful eyes of their mothers.

Korra stood at the back of the room, nervously taking in the scene. How would she find Mako and Bolin in a crowd like this? She looked down at her clothing, feeling self-conscious. She suddenly wished that Madame Kuang had given her something else to wear other than her old, barely there servant girl's outfit. Maybe then she could avoid the look of disapproval that Mako would give her. Bolin, to her dismay, would probably just stare.

Korra's eyes flickered across the room, searching for some sign of them. It was hard to pick out their distinct figures when every guy in the room looked exactly the same due to the dress code. She scowled. It looked like she would have to do this the hard way, then.

She started walking, wading through the sea of red clothing and keeping an eye out for her friends.  
"Excuse me!" she said as she bumped into yet another person's shoulder. "Coming through!"

Korra half wondered if they were there at all. They could be in another part of the palace, working. She nearly stopped in her tracks at the thought. They could be anywhere. In fact, she had no idea-

"Hey, Mako!"

Korra turned to see Bolin carrying a teapot over to a nearby table where his brother sat, talking to two servant girls. Bolin's back was turned to her.

She grinned. _Or_, she thought, _they could be right there_.

Korra hurried over, her heart pounding. She reached the table before Bolin and crept up behind Mako, ignoring the surprised look on the girl's faces. Korra lowered her mouth to his ear. "Hey, City Boy," she whispered.

Mako nearly jumped out of his seat. He faced her, spluttering. "Korra? When did you…how did-?"

"Oh, you're happy to see me, are you?" Korra laughed. She pointed to the girls. "Who are your friends?"

Mako blinked. He stared at her for a moment, his expression blank.

Korra waved her hand in front of his face. "Hello? Earth to Mako-"

She froze when Mako silently rose out of his chair, enveloping her in his embrace. His hand touched the small of her back, pulling her close.

Korra tentatively returned the gesture, still shocked that he was hugging her. He'd done so before, but never like this. They were always quick, friendly hugs that lasted only a second, their bodies barely touching. This was different. He was holding her flush against him. She could feel the heat radiating from his body, and his breath tickled her cheek.

Korra leaned her head on his shoulder, at a loss for words. "Mako..."

"Do you have any idea how worried I was about you? Korra, you could have been killed!"

_And here comes the lecture_, she thought, fighting the urge to roll her eyes. She pushed him away from her, trying to hide the blush that colored her face. "Mako, I'm fine, and that's what matters. Nothing happened."

Mako lifted a brow. "Really? Then what's that on the side of your head?" He brushed back a lock of her hair before she could stop him, his eyes narrowing. "Is that a bruise?"

"Umm..."

"Korra!" Thankfully Bolin reached the table at that moment, setting the teapot down. Korra sighed in relief. Now she wouldn't have to explain to Mako how she'd gotten that bruise when one of the guards backhanded her. Mako was normally a laidback guy, but even he could lose his cool sometimes.

She turned to Bolin, grinning widely. "Hey Bo…oh!" Bolin engulfed her in a bear hug, nearly crushing her. She gasped for breath as he tightened his grip. "Korra! I'm so glad you're ok. Did anything happen to you? Do you want anything?" He glanced down at her uniform. "Spirits, what are you wearing?"

Korra roughly shoved him off of her, panting. "Jeez, Bo…can't breathe…not funny." She sank into a chair, trying to catch her breath. What was with all hugs today? You'd think that she had been away for days rather than a few hours based on the way that her friends were acting.

"Wait a second!" The girl sitting across from her tapped her chin, staring at Korra. "You're the Water Tribe girl that everyone's been talking about! I'm Ling, and this is my friend Jie. But … I thought your name was Kai, not Korra?"

Korra pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. In the heat of the moment, Mako and Bolin had forgotten that they were undercover, and let her real name slip. _Nice job guys. Really nice._

"Well it is," Korra said. "I actually have…two…names. Kai is my fire nation name, and Korra is my… Water tribe … name."

Ling raised a perfectly arched brow. "So that makes you what? Korra-Kai?" Jie snorted next to her. "I'm not an idiot, you know. I heard you call him-" she pointed to Bolin, "by another name too."

"Well…" Korra struggled to come up with an explanation. She should probably stop lying, considering how awful she was at it. But the girl looked at her expectantly, waiting for an answer.

"Hey, Korra?" Ling took a sip from her teacup. "Do you know what really bothers me?" She set the cup down, not pausing for Korra to reply. "I absolutely hate it when people lie to me, and you three are lying your asses off right now. What's really going on?"

Ling knew. She freaking knew. Korra exchanged glances with Mako and Bolin, panic rising inside of her. _Do something_!

"We can't tell you everything," Mako said. "All you need to know is that we don't belong here, and that we're trying to get back to where we came from."

"But there's more to it, isn't there?"

No one said a word.

Ling's face fell. "…And you're not going to tell me, are you?" She sighed. "Fine, I get it. Don't we have some place to be anyway, Jie?"

"As a matter of fact, we do," Jie said. Korra was surprised at how soft her voice was, but before she had time to dwell on the matter, the two girls linked arms and disappeared through the entrance, complaining about How Madam Kuang always gave them too much work to do.

Korra exhaled in relief. "Thank Spirits," she said. "I thought they'd never leave. Who were those girls?"

Mako reached for the tea pot, pouring himself a cup. "Bo and I met them earlier when we were working. They're nice girls, but one's nosy, and the other one's too quiet." He held the pot up. "Do you guys want some?"

"Sure," Korra said. "But you guys were working?" She felt bad about putting her friends through so much.

"Yeah," Bolin said, averting his eyes. "But it was just grunt working like mopping floors and stuff. Nothing to worry about."

Korra almost believed him and began to relax, until she saw him wince as he touched his teacup. Her eyes zeroed in on his palm. "Oh my gosh, your hand!" She pointed at it. "It's… it's-"

"Branded?" he flexed it, flinching slightly. "I know. They got Mako too."

Korra looked horrified. "I'm sorry guys. I mean, it also happened to me, but I'm a waterbender so…" she spread her palm on the table "… it's gone now."

"Well, not all of us can bend more than one element Korra," Mako pointed out, bringing his cup to his lips."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." She closed her palm. "I can heal that for you guys later. Right now, I need to talk to you about something else. Something _huge_."

Bolin's eyes glinted in amusement. "What?" he asked. "Did you beat up a few guards again?"

Korra glared at him. "Very funny, Bolin, but no, it's bigger than that." She leaned in closer. "I found a way for us to get out of here."

Mako choked on his tea.

"W-what?" he coughed, caught off guard. His brother wasn't doing much better, his jaw hanging open. "How?"

"Oh, so now, you're interested, hmm?" Korra smirked. Her finger traced the rim of her teacup. "Anyway, I just asked Zuko to help us, and he agreed."

Mako's face hardened. "You did what?"

"Zuko said that he would help us out," Korra repeated, shrugging. "I don't see what the big deal is."

"Korra, he could betray us! What if this is part of a trap? What if-"

"Bro," Bolin cut in. "I highly doubt that. It looks like we've got a great opportunity here. What could possibly go wrong?"

Korra could actually think of a lot of answers to Bolin's question, but she kept her mouth shut, turning to Mako. "Well?"

"I still don't like this," he said. "Did he even give you any details?"

Korra bit her lip. "Not really," she said, "but we're working on it. With him on our side, we have a better chance at escaping, right?"

Mako didn't say anything.

_Okay_, Korra thought. _That didn't go over well_. She fumbled with her hair in uncertainty. If Mako didn't like the good news, he would probably freak out over what she had to say next.

"Uh, guys?" They looked up. "There's something else. I don't know how to tell you this, but I'm really tired of holding it in." She took a deep breath. "I… sort of saw Roku the other day."

Bolin stared blankly. "Can you repeat that?"

Korra frowned. "_I said_, I saw Avatar Roku the other day."

The effect was immediate. Bolin seem liked he was about to keel over, while Mako, on the other hand, simply gaped.

"Korra, you finally connected with your spiritual side. That's great!"

"Yeah," Mako muttered. "I just wish that you had told us sooner. What happened?"

"He appeared out of nowhere, saying something about how 'silence is golden' and 'combining is the key to victory.' "

Bolin shared a look with Mako. "That's …vague."

"Vague is an understatement."

"Well, what else did he say?" Mako asked.

Korra took a sip of her tea. "Nothing, until last night. I was trying to sleep, and he showed up again, but this time, he told me that only I have the power to restore balance to the United Republic, and that I have to look to the past for answers." She shook her head. "I've got no idea what he meant by that."

But Mako did.

His eyes widened, his grip tightening around his teacup. He had a theory. It was a stretch, but if he was on to something… "Korra, what if Roku was the one who sent you here?" he asked. "What if there's something that you're supposed to do?"

Korra's eyes snapped up to meet Mako's. If Roku sent her here… well, that would change _everything_.

Bolin furrowed his brow. "But then why did he send me and Mako here, too? We're just friends of the Avatar."

"I don't know, but I think that Mako's right." Excitement bubbled in her chest. "What if he sent all of us here for a purpose? It's not that far-fetched- you saw the glowing blue light on Aang's statue. Only a _spirit_ could have triggered that."

"The spirit of a past Avatar," Bolin breathed. "Korra, this is huge! But if you two are right, then what are we here for? And how do we get back?"

"I don't know," Korra admitted. "But I'm going to find out." _And find Aang_, she added silently.

* * *

"Do you see her?"

Zuko asked Bolin this question for the umpteenth time as the earthbender peered through the crack in the doorway. He'd sent a note to the three servants after he was through with Azula, figuring that if they were going to pull off this escape attempt, they had better start planning now. So far, only the two boys had shown up- brothers, Zuko guessed, by the similarity of their looks. But there was no sign of the girl.

"Nope, not yet," Bolin said, turning away from the door. "Did I mention how great it is to finally meet you, Zuko? Thanks for helping us, man."

"Careful, _Dante," _said Mako. He leaned against the wall of the small room, barely visible in the dim light. "We still don't know if we can trust him yet"

Zuko scowled. "Right, because I dragged you all the way down here to torture you. Clearly, I have good intentions!"

Mako simply shrugged. "For all we know, you could be working against us, and I'm _not_ taking any chances.

Zuko had half a mind to chew Mako out for being ungrateful, but before he could fire an insult at him, Bolin rushed back over to the doorway, pressing his face into the crack. Someone was approaching.

"She's coming!"

Zuko nodded. "Ok. You know what to do. Get her attention and point her this way…"

Bolin wasn't listening, a mistake that would cost him. Instead of following Zuko's instructions, he waited until Korra was close enough and roughly clapped a hand over her mouth, wrenching her inside.

Bad move.

"Let me go! What the hell is going on?" Korra struggled against his grip, her arms failing. A blow clipped Bolin making him cry out in pain and release her.

"Who are you?" She conjured a fireball around her fist, illuminating the room. "I swear, if you don't-"

Her gaze fell on the shocked expressions of Mako, Zuko, and Bolin.

Korra's face fell. "Guys?" She extinguished her fire, her body relaxing. "What's all this? What's happening?"

"_Well_," Bolin said, as he rubbed his jaw. "This was supposed to be a secret meeting, and apparently, _Zuko _here thought that it would be smart not to reveal the exact location-"

"Hey, don't blame this on me," the Fire Prince said. "I'm the one who sent the note telling her to come to the corridor in the west wing. It wasn't _my_ idea to attack her."

"I didn't attack her!"

"Oh, be quiet, Bo…Dante," Korra caught herself as she moved Bolin's hand out of the way to see the damage. "It might leave a bruise, but you should be fine. I still don't understand what you were thinking, pulling me into a…" she trailed off, finally taking in her surroundings."Is this a supply closet?" She stood in a small space, with various buckets, mops, and brooms lining the walls. A candle mounted on the wall provided a meager amount of light.

Zuko flushed. "Well, yeah," he said, pulling down the hood of his cloak. "I couldn't think of a private location where no one would see us, so I chose-"

"A closet," Korra finished. She shrugged. "It's not what I was expecting, but it'll do." She moved to stand beside Mako, crossing her arms. "So, what's the plan?"

Zuko cleared his throat. He looked different out of his royal attire. His shaggy hair hung free, and with the simple red cloak, he almost looked… normal (save for the scar, of course). And although she would never admit it, Korra preferred Zuko this way. He seemed more down-to-earth.

"I'm not sure if this will work," Zuko began, meeting their eyes, "but I figured that it's worth a try." He paused, seemingly unsure of himself, but continued after a moment. "In about a week, supplies are going to be moving in and out of the palace along with a small amount of servants and courtiers for a mandatory evacuation. I think that you'll be able to slip away while this is happening."

"Evacuation?" Bolin piped up. "What for?"

"Nothing important!" Zuko said hurriedly. It's just that the, ah, Caldera City is on top of a volcano and… people are worried," he began to fidget a little, "that it may erupt soon. We just want to be prepared."

"Wait," Korra interrupted, narrowing her eyes. "So, you're telling me that this entire place is going to blow? Does that mean that they're evacuating the entire city?"

"Something like that," Zuko mumbled. "But like I said, it's _not_ important. What you need to know is how this is going to help you get out of here." He rubbed the back of his neck. "While the palace is being cleared out, you'll have a short window to get away. Everyone will be busy, so no one will notice is a few slave are missing. The trick is," he said, rolling out a small map, "you'll have to make a quick disappearance."

"Which is where you come in," Mako said, leaning in for a closer look.

"Exactly. Right here," Zuko's finger traced the lines of ink, "is the Palace Armory. It's located directly underneath the guard's headquarters. Inside is something that you'll find extremely useful in your escape." He pointed to a tiny picture haphazardly scrawled in the margins, obviously drawn by him.

Korra's eyes lit up in recognition. "That's a war balloon, isn't it?"

Zuko's eyes widened. "How do you know about those?"

"Well, they're everywhere, aren't they?" Korra said, not realizing what he meant. "It's not like it's some new invention-"

"No, that's a brand new model that hasn't even been used in combat yet! There's no way that you could possibly know about it unless…"

"Unless what?"

His expression grew serious. "Who are you working for?"

A sinking feeling developed in Korra's stomach. She'd made yet another _mistake_. Any of more those, and she might accidentally expose their secret. "That's ridiculous," she said. "I'm not a spy. I just-"

"Who are you working for?" Zuko raised his voice. "The Water Tribes? The Earth Kingdom? The_ Avatar_?"

"I already told you, I'm not!" She clenched her fists, growing irritated. The candle in the room flickered dangerously.

Mako sensed that things were getting out of hand, so he stepped between them, looming over Zuko. "She said she's not undercover, and she doesn't know the Avatar," he said, his voice taking on a slight edge. "So why don't you do us all a favor and back _off_?"

A few beats of silence passed as Mako and Zuko stared at each other, eyes locked. Bolin swallowed nervously, while Korra simply watched, trying to quell her anger. A thought did linger in the back of her mind, though. If Mako and Zuko ended up fighting, that might blow their chance of escaping.

But just when it seemed like everything would spiral out of control, Zuko eased off. "Alright," he said. "I may have overreacted. Anyway," he turned back to the map, "once you slip away from the servant's quarters, you'll take the war balloon and ride it out of the armory through a ceiling gate. And then-"

"We'll be free," Korra said. "That's great, but there's a problem. How will we get past the guards?"

"I've got it covered." Zuko shoved the parchment back into his cloak. "But-" He broke off, noticing Korra's hand. Just yesterday it had been burned with the Fire Nation's symbol. Now…

"The brand," he said. "It's… gone?"

Korra hastily moved her hand behind her back. "Yes" she lied. "I had a waterbender heal it. She's a good friend of ours."

"And she did theirs, too?" He nodded to Mako and Bolin.

"Yep. Now what were you saying?" Korra was desperate to change the subject."

"Right. I wanted to warn you before we carry this out. There's no question that it'll be dangerous, but there's also another risk."

"How _big_ of a risk?" Mako asked.

"If something goes wrong," Zuko lowered his voice, "And you get caught for _any_ reason, you'll be killed on the spot. No questions asked."

Korra shared a fearful glance with her friends. If that was the penalty, failure wouldn't be an option. "And you?"

"Yes?"

"What will happen to you if someone figures out that you were the one that helped us?"

Zuko didn't answer for a moment. He swallowed, visibly paling. "Me? I'll be captured," he moved toward the door, "thrown in prison, tried, and publicly executed for treason against the Fire Lord." His hand rested on the door knob. "So you'd better pray and hope that this works."

And with that, he pulled the hood of his cloak up and exited the room, leaving the three teenagers in shock from what they'd just heard.

* * *

**_DUN DUN DUN!_ So, what'd you think? I don't care if you're brutally honest in your reviews (I'm open to constructive criticism). I've already started on Part 2 of this, so check back for it next week (I'm serious this time. I won't keep you waiting for MONTHS, lol). Thanks for reading, guys! (Don't forget to review!)**

**Next on Avatar: Blast from the Past- **Roku drops in, and Korra and the Krew try to make a break for it. Things are about to pick up, so hold on tight!

**Side note: **I know that I took a long time with this update, but I'm a slow writer. I mean, would you have read this chapter if it looked like this? :

**Azula**- YOU'RE HELPING THAT GIRL ESCAPE?!

**Zuko**- Yeah, what's it to ya?

**Azula**- You're so dumb! Father will kill you!

**Zuko**- Get out.*choke choke, cough cough*

...

**Korra**- Hey guys! Zuko's going to to help us escape and I saw Roku!

**Mako and Bolin**- Sweetness!

...

**Zuko**- You're going to float out of here in a war balloon.

**Bolin**- Why?

**Zuko**- Because war balloons have got _swagg_. B)

**(Don't tell me that you would have read this. I'll know you're lying)**

So, that's why I take so long. To make sure these chapters are kinda decent. I just wanted to offer some kind of explanation for the long waiting period besides, "oh, I was busy!"

**Signing off for now-**

**SwiftAngel**


	7. Out of the Ashes (Part 2)

**Hey Guys! So I'm posting this chapter a _little_ late, but hopefully I didn't make you wait too long. I had a lot of trouble with this chapter (fight scenes aren't really my forte) so a bit of constructive criticism would be much appreciated. I can't believe that I have nearly 100 reviews, over 100 follows, and more than 50 favs. Thank you so much!**

**One review in particular really made me smile:**

**From Guest (Sorry, I have know I idea what your name actually is):**

_YESSSSSSS! FINALY! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU. _

_ Honestly I cant wait until someone DOES find out Korra's secret. And by the way it is just great that this story is rolling again, only a few people are using the whole Korra gets sucked into the time of the first show theme and If you keep up this quality your version will hands down be the best one out there._

**AWW! How nice, right?** **:)**

**Disclaimer: ****Although I wish I did, I don't own ATLA/LOK. Sorry :(**

**Previously on Avatar: Blast from the Past- **Azula harassed Zuko after he agreed to help Korra escape the palace. The Krew reunited and discussed Roku's involvement in their predicament. And, Zuko arranged a meeting where they all made escape plans.**  
**

**ENJOY!**

* * *

**Book One: Fire (****火****)**

**Chapter 7-Out of the Ashes (part 2)**

"Tui, that hurts." Korra winced as she rubbed her neck. She'd just ended her shift with Madame Kuang moments earlier, doing back breaking work in the kitchens. To be frank, she hated it. In general, Korra was better suited to battling equalists than she was to housework, but Madame Kuang had refused to listen to her case. "You cook for Fire Lord!" she had said. "No exceptions!"

So, Korra was stuck. And now, as she made her way to the room in the servants quarters, the thought about two things: the first was how Madame Kuang shouldn't have yelled at her for burning the rice, since it hadn't been her fault (how was she supposed to know the heat was too high?). And, the second was Zuko, and when he would arrange for their escape.

A week had passed since Korra, Mako, and Bolin encountered Zuko, and he hadn't sent any word on what the plan was. Korra didn't know when- or _if_- the Prince would send for them. _Maybe he changed his mind?_ Korra contemplated this as she chewed her lip, rounding the corner.

"What did you find?"

Korra froze. _What?_ Nobody was awake at this hour and yet, here were a couple of people whispering in the next corridor. She turned to see two shadows moving along the walls, growing larger as they approached.

She had two options. Run now, or stay to listen in. No contest, really. She flattened herself against the wall behind the corner, holding her breath.

"I intercepted the note." The second person spoke. "They're going through with it tonight."

_Two girls_, Korra concluded. And whatever they were talking about sounded like more than just normal palace gossip.

"Are you absolutely sure? I would hate for this to be another false alarm," the other girl said. Korra furrowed her brow. That person sounded familiar. Where had she heard-

"I'm _positive_, Princess. I know what I saw."

Korra shivered involuntarily. _Azula_? Whatever she was up to, it couldn't be good, based on her track record. Taking a deep breath, Korra poked her head out for a better look.

Azula stood in the middle of the corridor with a petite girl dressed in servant's garb. The girl's back was turned so Korra couldn't see her face, only her long dark hair.

"Hmm." Azula studied the girl, moving closer. "You've done well. I'm shocked- normally you would have done something to ruin this by now-"

"_Princess_-"

"But I guess I've given you proper incentive to succeed this time, haven't I?" Her voice dripped with venom as she sneered at the girl.

"Please." The girl trembled. "I've done what you asked. Just … don't hurt my sister. You promised that if I helped you-"

"I promised _nothing_," Azula snapped. "I said that she'll live- nothing more."

"Princess, I'm begging you-"

"Oh, hush." She waved her hand. "Come along. We have to warn the others, and I don't have all day."

"No." The servant girl squared her shoulders and looked Azula in the eye. "We had a deal- you leave her alone in exchange for information. I'm not going anywhere with you until you swear to me that my sister will be safe."

Wow, Korra thought. _Defying Azula?_ This girl was either really brave… or really stupid, like she had been the week earlier. Now that she thought about it, if she had used her common sense, maybe she wouldn't even be in the palace now.

"Is that so?" Azula's lips twisted into a frown, considering her for a moment. And then she slapped her.

"Ugh!" The girl cried out in pain, and a red mark began to form on her cheek.

"You do _not _challenge me," Azula spat. "Do you understand?"

The servant sniffled, apparently crying.

"I said_, do you understand?_"

"Y-yes."

Azula seemed satisfied. "Good. Now come." They started down the hallway and Korra's eyed widened. They would run straight into her. Maybe if she was quiet…

She took a step back, wincing when the sound resonated through the hallway.

"Who's there?" Azula stopped, brandishing a blue flame. "Show yourself!"

_… Or maybe not_. "Shit!" Korra took off down the hall, headed for her room. She tripped on the carpet, stumbling for a moment, before regaining her balance and increasing her pace. Azula was gaining on her; she had no idea where the servant girl was, but guessed that she couldn't be far behind.

Korra ducked when a blue fireball sailed past her head. "You're dead, peasant! When I get my hands on you…"

Korra didn't want to know what would happen. She only prayed that the dim light would prevent Azula from recognizing her. If the princess knew that the girl who had challenged her the week earlier was the same one who'd been spying on her now…

Spirits, that would be bad.

She skidded around the bend, diving into the curtains of a nearby window. Azula's footsteps drew closer as she passed Korra's hiding spot, and then they receded.

A moment passed before Korra decided that it was safe to come out. Relief washed over her as she made her way to her small stone chamber, sinking down onto the mattress.

"I can't believe this," she muttered. Azula was up to something, and somehow, that servant girl was involved. But what was it? She got up and started pacing. This didn't make any sense. Why would Azula need a spy to do her dirty work for her? The girl obviously wasn't willing if she had to threaten her sister, and she was resourceful enough by herself. _Unless_, Korra thought, frowning, Azula was planning something big. Something that would require backup. Something-

_Thump._

Korra froze, assuming a fighting stance. What was that? Had Azula found her? She surveyed the room, searching for the source of the noise.

_Thump, thump, thump._

She turned around. A red messenger hawk sat outside, pecking at the glass of her window. Korra raised a brow curiously. What in the world? She let the bird inside, flinching in surprise when it dropped a scroll at her feet before landing on the bed, cawing softly.

Korra unfurled the scroll, her eyes widening as she read the message scrawled across it.

_Everything's ready. Meet me by the entrance of the servants quarter's in fifteen minutes with the others._

_- Zuko_

* * *

"This way," said Zuko. He led the trio through a pair of large oak doors, towards the Guard's Headquarter. A dancing flame in his palm cast shadows along the walls.

Korra, Mako and Bolin followed the Fire Prince, creeping through the deserted halls of the Palace. Zuko hurried them along, making sure they wouldn't be seen by a stray servant or guard wandering around. Everyone else was presumably asleep, so they wouldn't have to worry about running into a courtier or member of the royal family- if they stayed quiet, that is. Korra currently had trouble with that task- she clopped across the marble floor, much to Zuko's annoyance. The last thing they needed was to get caught because _someone _couldn't pick up their feet.

He pulled them to the side once they entered the guard's common room, and his flame went out as he fished around in a black bag. He resurfaced a moment later, tossing three leather backpacks to each member of the group. "Here, I think you might need these."

Bolin opened the clasp on his, peering at the various items- clothes food, and other general supplies. He glanced at Zuko. "Wow, thanks, but… what are these for?"

Zuko raised a brow. "For after you leave the palace?"

"Oh. Gotcha."

Korra rolled her eyes. "Just ignore him," she said. "But seriously, _thanks_, Zuko. I was worried that you wouldn't come through for a second. Why the long wait?

Zuko fell silent. A lot of things had happened during the past week- his sister had taunted him, his father had made more war plans, and Mai had been unusually cold to him. But two things really bothered him- one being an encounter with his uncle, and the other a mystery concerning the same water tribe slave who now waited impatiently for him to reply.

It was last week that Zuko uncovered a mind blowing secret, one he still couldn't believe.

He was a descendant of Avatar Roku.

He'd denied it when his Uncle first told him- wasn't he the great-grandson of Sozin, after all?- but as Iroh lectured him from behind the bars of his cell, Zuko came to realize that his Uncle was telling the truth. Of course, it didn't make things easier knowing that he had a connection to the Avatar. Zuko would have to decide where his loyalties lied, and he wasn't quite sure what to do yet.

And then there was the other issue, with _Kai_. She told him that a water bender had healed her brand, which had thrown him for a loop. Kai was the only water tribe slave in the palace, and she was a fire bender. It didn't make any sense… unless she could bend two elements. But of course, only the avatar could do that. And there could only be one av-

"Zuko?"

He snapped back to reality, remembering her question. "I was busy," he said at last. "I didn't have time to contact you." Technically, it wasn't a lie.

But it wasn't completely true either.

Mako cleared his throat. "I hate to break it you, but we need to get moving. There's a good chance that a guard could walk in at any time."

"It's been taken care of." Zuko's mouth twitched, fighting a smirk. "Let's just say the guards are on a… special assignment tonight."

Looks of understanding crossed their faces and Bolin clapped him on the back. "I didn't think you had it in you, Zuko. Sending them on a fake mission! Why didn't I think of that?"

Zuko scowled. "Keep it down, will you? Someone could still hear." He moved to a nearby wall, cupping a flame in his hand.

"What are you doing?" asked Mako.

Zuko studied the wall for a moment. He must have found what he was looking for, because in the next second, he touched the flame to a small area. "This."

The wall slid open to reveal a passage, a grinding noise reverberating throughout the room as stone slipped against stone.

"Oh," Mako blinked. "That was… unexpected."

"Are you coming or not?"

"Yeah, sure," Mako frowned as he followed Zuko down the staircase of the passageway. "I have to admit, I was wrong about you. I was worried that with your track record-"

"My _what_?"

Mako bit his tongue. Wrong choice of words, considering Zuko didn't know they were from the future. "I meant, if it weren't for you, we wouldn't be getting out of here now."

"So, is this your way of saying thanks?" Zuko glanced at him from the side.

"Maybe. I'm not exactly the most expressive guy around…"

"But…" Bolin urged him on.

"You've been really…" he searched for the right word, "…helpful?"

"Mako!"

"What? I said thank you!"

"No, you didn't," his brother scolded him. "You said he was _helpful_."

"Same difference," Mako shrugged.

"It's really not," Korra pointed out. "And you're being rude. Good to know that you're still a jerk bender, _City Boy_."

"If you call me a jerk bender _one_ more time-"

"Enough!" Zuko said, irritated with their bickering. "You three need to knock it off. Have you forgotten that we're on a serious mission?" He shook his head in disgust. "Besides, we're _here_."

A large archway opened up to reveal a vast space stocked with weapons of all kinds. An array of swords, cannons, and daggers lined the walls, and light provided by torches cast a dim glow over the area.

"Whoa," Korra breathed. "It's so…"

"Scary?"

Korra raised an eyebrow at Bolin. "Actually, I was going to say big. Scary … not so much."

"Right. Me too," Bolin nodded earnestly.

As the teens followed Zuko into the heart of the room, he noticed that they were visibly elated. They were finally breaking free after all this time. It was almost too good to be true and yet… it was happening.

His eyes peeled away to the platform ahead, where he'd left the war balloon. Soon it would all be over, and he could…

Zuko's eyes widened and he stiffened, stopping in his tracks. The platform was empty. "No," he whispered. "It can't be…"

"Zuko, what's wrong?" Korra reached out for him, only to have him flinch away from her touch.

"There must be a mistake. This isn't right! This…" He ran a hand through his hair, a sense of dread filling him. "It's the war balloon," he said flatly. "It's _gone_."

A wave of silence washed over them. That was it. Game over. No war balloon meant no escape.

And everyone knew it.

"What do you mean it's gone? What happened?" demanded Mako.

"How should I know? It was over there, and now it's not." Zuko pinched the bridged of his nose. "We're going to have to think of another plan. Any ideas?"

He looked around at the group for an answer before noticing a strange reaction from Korra. Her eyes glazed over, staring into space. "Are you-"

"_It's happening tonight_," she whispered. "That's what she meant! And when the other girl intercepted the note… Oh Tui, no…" She snapped out of her trance. "Guys, _she_ knows! We have to get out of here now, before…"

Korra trailed off as a dark figure began to move from the shadows, stepping into the light. The heels of her shoes clicked across the marble.

Zuko took one look at her and stopped breathing.

"_Zu Zu_, I thought I might find you here!"

_No_, he thought. It was impossible. He'd covered all his tracks, and yet, she had still found them. "What are you doing here, Azula?" he growled.

A smirk played upon her lips. "Oh, nothing much. Just ruining your plans." She pointed to the far side of the room. "The war balloon's over there, behind that curtain, if you want it. The only catch is-" The forms of three other people began to emerge- "you'll have to go through us to get it."

Mai, Ty Lee, and Lieutenant Hao flanked the Princess as she faced Zuko.

It was as if he'd been kicked in the chest. Everything was falling apart. Azula had threatened to report him, but he never imagined that she would actually go through with it. And Mai? His own girlfriend betraying him? He couldn't believe it. He tried to think of something to say, but his mouth became dry, and his lips refused to move.

"_And_, I almost forgot-" Azula reached for the final person, still huddled in the darkness against the wall. "-I really owe it all to her. She told me everything!"

"No! Please!" The girl's protests were ignored as Azula dragged her into view, throwing her to the ground. Her dark hair fell into her face, but her features were recognizable when she looked up.

"Jie?" Korra asked incredulously. She turned to her friends. "That's the same girl that we saw with Ling, remember?"

_And the same girl who came to my room with Azula_, Zuko observed. She had seemed harmless enough, but she was his sister's informant?

"I'm s-sorry," she choked out as tears spilled from her eyes. "I-I didn't want to do this."

"So why did you, then?" Mako asked. "We trusted you!"

"S-she forced me. She threatened Ling… I never wanted to help, but Azula made me spy on you in exchange for her s-safety…"

"Ling's your sister?" Korra took a step forward, her mouth hanging open. "Well, that explains a lot…"

Jie gasped. "Wait, that was you in the hallway? I thought-"

"Quiet!" Azula kicked the girl, making her whimper. "Get on your feet. I don't have time for your nonsense."

Zuko watched the girl struggle to stand, and glared at Azula. "So this is how it's going to be? You're just going to … turn me in?"

"Something like that," she said. "I did warn you though, didn't I?"

His face flushed with anger. "It was all an act, wasn't it? You coming to my room- you never cared, did you?"

Azula chuckled. "Please, Zuko. You had to have known that the only thing I care about is the throne. Which will soon be mine, of course," she added, "since I'm about to become an _only child_!"

A burst of fire shot from her fist and Zuko rolled to the side, landing in a crouch. "We'll see about that," he spat. He launched a fiery kick at her, and Azula returned it with a swipe of her own. Blue flames sizzled against amber as the two engaged in a battle, caught in a lethal dance.

The others began to move, gearing up for the fight. "I'll deal with Hao!" Korra said, running forward. "You two take care of the girls."

Mako and Bolin exchanged an uncertain look before joining the fray. Grim expressions crossed their faces as they confronted their opponents.

This was one fight they couldn't afford to lose.

* * *

Bolin faced a bubbly young girl in a pink outfit, waiting for her to make the first move. He wasn't the best Earth bender out there but he could definitely hold his own when he needed to.

However, he was puzzled when she just stood there, smiling at him. "You know, it's a shame I have to do this," she cooed, "Since you're so _cute_."

"Do what?" he asked. Why wouldn't she move? And why was she flirting with him? Wasn't there some kind of rule against being nice to the enemy?

"This!" she hurled herself at him, doing a series of flips in the air.

_Damn_. He really should have seen that coming. He pulled a stone from the ground, but before he could do anything, she landed on him, doling out a series of swift kicks and punches.

_A chi blocker!_ Bolin tried to avoid her blows, but she was too quick. _Crap_, he thought miserably as fell to the ground. He couldn't move a muscle.

Ty Lee grinned at him as she scampered away to help Azula deal with Zuko. "Bye, cutie!"

Bolin groaned. Oh he'd really screwed up this time. And there was only one way to fix this.

"MAKO!"

* * *

Mako dodged another knife, shooting a flame out of his palm. Mai was skilled at knife throwing, and it was becoming harder to avoid her flying daggers. Maybe if he tried hand to hand combat…

"Ugh!" A dagger tore through his tunic, nicking his shoulder.

Yeah, this definitely wasn't working.

He clenched his teeth, drawing in a breath as Mai pulled more tiny knives from her robe, wielding them threateningly. "Is that all you've got?"

"Trust me. You haven't seen anything yet." Her hand pulled back, about to strike again, when she hesitated. She stared not at Mako, but at Zuko, watching him swing a fire whip at his sister. A pained expression crossed her face, and she sheathed the knives, tucking them back in her robe.

Mako pressed on his wounded shoulder to slow the bleeding. "W-what are you doing?"

"I can't," she shook her head, her voice cracking. "I can't do this. I've helped Azula bring her enemies down before, but I won't help her with this. Not when Zuko's involved."

Mako fumbled for a reply. Was this girl insane? "That's… nice of you," he said lamely. He watched Mai slip away unnoticed, her head held high with determination.

That was unexpected, to say the least. Mako scanned the room, looking for Bolin and Korra. He spotted his brother getting pummeled by the female chi blocker, and shook his head. It looked like he would have to go and bail him out again. Mako cursed under his breath and started toward him. Why did his brother always seem to have a knack for getting into trouble? He swore that-

A flash appeared in the corner of his eye and Mako turned around to see a sight that made his heart stop.

_"Korra! No!"_

* * *

"Agh!" Korra narrowly missed a blow to the head as Hao advanced on her. His fiery attacks grew stronger, and she struggled to keep up.

"I wondered when we'd get a rematch," he quipped. "Of course, this time I'll be the one who comes out on top."

_Not a chance_, Korra thought. Flames rocketed toward his face, almost scorching his eyebrows.

Hao growled before jumping forward and countering with an arc like kick, sending flames dangerously close to her skin. An uncomfortable wave of heat washed over her, and she flushed.

Panting, Korra fired blast after blast at Hao, her frustration growing as he nimbly evaded each one, flipping in mid air and landing smoothly on his feet.

_Come on, Korra, you've got this_. She charged him, wielding a fire dagger in each hand and grunting as she launched herself in the air, preparing to strike from above.

She didn't count on missing her target, though. The lieutenant swerved to the side, and Korra took a nose dive on the stone floor, moaning in pain.

Oh, _fuck_ that hurt. Her head throbbed as she blinked, wondering what just happened.

"Hmm, tired already?" Hao smirked. "A shame, really. I hoped that you'd put up more of a fight." His hand sizzled as he stepped closer to her, about to deliver the final blow.

"Korra! No!" Hao turned around at the sound. "What in the world-"

He crumpled to a heap on the ground, his armor smoking. He lay motionless, his body sprawled across the floor.

Korra lifted her head to see Mako sprinting over, extinguishing the fire in his palm. "You okay, Korra?" he asked, kneeling down to look at her.

"I'm fine," she sighed. "Help, me up, will you?" Mako gently pulled her to her feet and she stumbled, her vision turning cloudy.

"Whoa, easy there." He gripped her arm. "Oh, Agni," he breathed, staring at a gash on her head. "You're _bleeding_."

"So are you," she pointed out. "Anyway we, have to get out of here. Where's Bolin? And what about Zuko?"

Her eyes traveled to the spot where Azula and Ty Lee were squaring off against Zuko. He seemed to be handling himself well, and Korra figured they could probably sneak away during the fight. Now for Bolin...

She found him lying on the floor, twitching as he tried to regain some feeling in his limbs. "Guys! A little help here?"

Korra groaned. _Wow, Bo_. She and Mako started towards him, not realizing that his yelling had alerted Azula.

The princess's head whipped in their direction. "Ty Lee, stop them!"

Ty Lee broke away from the battle, racing over to Korra and her friends. Korra gritted her teeth and ran faster, trying to avoid the girl.

"Man, am I glad to see you guys," Bolin said. "I thought-"

Mako slung him over his shoulder, grunting under his weight. "No time to talk. We've got to go!"

But before they could move, a piercing scream cut through the air.

Everyone froze. Azula stumbled backward, clutching her wounded arm. The smell of scorched flesh wafted around the room, and a long slash in her armor revealed a terrible burn.

"Azula!" Ty Lee rushed to the Princess's side, temporarily forgetting about her mission. Her eyes were full of concern for her friend.

Zuko's eyes were wide as he watched his sister tremble, her face scrunched up in pain. He turned to Korra. "I didn't mean to ... I -I thought..." He sighed. "Just go." He averted his eyes from her gaze.

"But what about you?" she wondered. "You could come with us, you know."

Zuko shook his head. "I can't. I belong here, in the palace. I can't give that up."

"Are you sure? What if something happens-"

"I'll be fine, Kai."

Korra stared at him for a moment, their eyes locked on each other's. And then she surprised him by wrapping him in a hug. "Thank you, Zuko. For everything."

A hand gently patted her back and she pulled away, running toward war balloon and climbing in with Mako and Bolin.

Zuko walked over and flipped with switch that operated the ceiling gate, watching as the machinery whirred and two sheets of metal parted to reveal the night sky. This was the last time he would see the strange firebender and her friends. He'd risked a lot to help them, and it may have just cost him cost him his crown. He pursed his lips as he pondered this, watching them take off.

The war balloon began to sail upward, carrying Korra and her friends away. She lifted her hand to wave, pausing when something caught her eye on the ground.

Azula staggered below, a scowl forming on her face. Ty lee was next to her, trying to help, but the girl shrugged her off, staring at the war balloon.

_Azula lost_, Korra thought. _She lost. Why would she ...  
_  
A bolt of lightning rocketed toward them, illuminating the dark sky.

"Ah!" Korra pressed herself to the far side of the balloon. The air crackled with electricity, and the entire vehicle began to rock back and forth.

"Get back!" Mako shouted. He channeled the energy, allowing it to wrap around his own being before taking a deep breath and releasing it. It shot out of his outstretched fingers, racing back down to the ground in flash of light.

Korra's blood ran cold as she saw the lightning hit the ground, generating an explosion... right where Azula had been standing. Smoke filled the air, blocking her view of any activity below. "Is she... is she..."

Korra refused to say the word "dead."

Mako seemed to understand. "I don't know," He said. But we've got bigger problems to worry about."

Korra followed his gaze to a tear in the material of the balloon. The entire thing sagged a little, beginning to deflate.

Holy spirits.

"We're going to crash!" Bolin said, fully mobile again. He grabbed Mako by the shirt, panicking. "What do we do? I swear if we die-"

Mako shoved him off, rubbing his temples. "I've got an idea," he said, walking over to feed more flames to the fire that kept them afloat. "Bolin look for a safe place for us to land!" he ordered. "And Korra, see if you can get an air current going!"

Korra looked at her hands. "Y-you want me to air bend? Mako, are you crazy? You know I can't."

"You have to, Korra." He shot another blast of fire into the flame compartment. "You're the Avatar, after all. Maybe if you try harder-"

"What do you think I've been doing for the past few months? Sitting around? I've tried Mako." She shook her head. "I just can't do it!"

Mako slammed the compartment closed. "Well, try again, damn it!" They were losing altitude every second now, and the forest up ahead grew closer and closer. He ran a hand through his hair and looked at Korra, who was shocked and hurt by his outburst. "Look, I'm sorry," he said. "But unless you can bend the air around this thing to keep us afloat, we're going to crash. End of story."

Korra bit her lip. She really didn't have a choice. "I'll see what I can do." Taking a deep breath, she cracked her knuckles and raised her fists. A grunt escaped her lips as she thrust them forward. "_Air bend_!"

Nothing.

"Uh, Korra, not to be rude, but I don't think that's how it works," Bolin said.

"Not now, Bo," Mako chided him. He nodded to Korra. "Try one more time. I _know _you can do this."

"Alright." Korra flexed her shoulders before closing her eyed and concentrating .This time, she stuck out her palm, pushing with all her might. "Come on... come on..."

Not even a puff.

Korra opened her eyes and met the disappointed expressions of her friends. "I'm sorry, guys. I tried but..."

"It's fine," Mako said tightly. The ground approached rapidly now as the balloon began to completely deflate, and his eyes snapped shut. "Agni, I think I'm going to be sick-"

He never got to finish that thought, as the flames gave out, and their balloon dropped from the sky.

* * *

Korra woke up face down on the ground, with every bone in her body aching. Her head throbbed, and she was vaguely aware of something wet trickling down her neck. _They had crashed…_

She struggled to stand, staggering a little. Her vision blurred as she fought to remain upright, but she gritted her teeth and held onto a nearby tree for support.

"Mako? Bo? You alright?" She looked around for some sign of them, spotting the wreckage of the war balloon a few feet away. The thing was demolished. No wonder she felt so bruised up right now. How had they survived an accident like that?

Korra heard a rustle in the trees and turned her head to see the two brothers step into view, seemingly unharmed.

"Korra." Mako froze when he saw her, pointing to her face. "Spirits, your head, it's…"

Korra touched the cut on her temple and pulled her hand away, blood trickling across her finger tips. Well, that explained why she could barely stand.

"Are you guys ok?" she asked, trying to change the subject. She noticed that Bolin had a slight limp as he moved forward, pain drawn across his face. Mako didn't look to good either, sporting a bruise over his eye. It looked like the crash hadn't left anyone untouched.

Guilt swirled in the pit of her stomach. Once again, this was her fault. If she'd been able to generate even a little air, this wouldn't have happened. She kept messing everything up. First the spirits, then the palace. It never seemed to end.

"Are _we_ ok? Korra, you're bleeding all over your clothes!" Mako cupped her chin in his hand, inspecting the gash, only to have her pull away.

"No," she said. Her words began to slur together, but she couldn't let her friends stop now, because of her. The palace guards could be hot on their tail. "I'm fine. We have to keep moving… Azula could f-follow-" She groaned as her head began to spin.

"Oh, Agni. You need help." Mako turned away, cupping a hand over his mouth. "Hey!" he called. "Hey!"

Bolin frowned. "Who are you yelling to? Nobody's-

"Whoa!" The Earth buckled around Bolin's feet, tossing him on his back. He tried to stand, but the rocks rose around him to encase his limbs in a stone prison. "Guys!" he cried, his eyes wide with fear. "What's happening?"

Somewhere in the back of Korra's mind, she realized that they were under attack, and that she should probably run. But everything was so hazy. She distantly heard Mako's voice as he tugged on her arm, telling her to open her eyes, to stay with him, and to not pass out on the forest floor. Korra stepped forward, wiping the blood that trickled down her skin. She had to free Bolin first. She raised her hands, preparing to earth bend.

Then everything became chaotic.

Korra screamed as she and Mako were knocked backward by a jet of water, landing roughly against a tree. The water snaked around them and solidified into ice, rendering them immobile. Korra's head pounded as she tried to muster up the strength to conjure a flame, trying to do something other than struggle against the barrier of ice that kept her flush against the tree.

A twig snapped, and her eyes darted upward.

Figures emerged from the shadows, stepping into view. At first she thought that Azula and her goons had indeed found them, and that they were going to be shipped back to the palace… until she heard one of them speak.

"See? I told you I heard something over here, Sugar Queen."

"It looks like you were right, Toph." A girl with dark hair and blue eyes surveyed them, wielding handful of water. "Now the question is, who are you? And what do you want?"

Korra blinked to clear her vision. Toph? That was name of Aang's friend, and Lin Beifong's mother. "We… we-" she struggled to form words as another searing wave of pain washed over her.

"We don't want any trouble," Mako stated. "We're just passing through."

A young man who resembled the waterbender ventured closer, wielding a boomerang. "Then do you want to explain why you were traveling in a Fire Nation war balloon?" he pointed to the wreckage accusingly. "Why are you here? Who sent you?"

"Nobody sent us! We were just-" Korra listened to Mako argue back and forth with the boy as she squinted to see the faces of the other kids. Something about them was eerily familiar. She shared a worried look with Bolin, who still lay encased in earth on the ground. What was going on here?

"Wait!" A boy with black hair and olive skin placed a hand on the other boy's shoulder. "I think that we should hear them out before we do anything rash. Besides, that one next to the guy doesn't look too good. I think she needs help."

Korra groaned as she craned her neck to see the boy clearly. Spots appeared in her vision, but she clenched her jaw, and every came into focus.

The boy had a calm expression on his face as he stood next to the young man, urging him to relax. Her eyes flickered to his forehead where the smallest glimpse of a blue tattoo was visible underneath his hair.

_Holy Spirits above_.

Korra gasped. "Aang!" she cried. "It's you, Aang!"

The boy's brow furrowed. "What did you say?"

His friends began talking rapidly and they stared at her, in disbelief. "Did she just say what I think she said? But how did she know? There's no way…"

"Korra are you sure that's him? Korra?" Mako urgently tried to get her attention, but she was too far gone. Overcome by pain and exhaustion, the young Avatar slumped against the tree, unconscious.

"Aang," she thought, as she slipped away, darkness blanketing her. "_I finally found you_."

**#END OF BOOK ONE#**

* * *

**So, that's it for Book 1! We're moving on to a new part of the story now- Book 2: Air. Look for it soon, and as always, reviews are welcome! :)**

**See ya,**

**-Swift Angel**


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